Way of the Protector
by mlickko
Summary: Ichigo died fighting Ulquiorra on top of the Las Noches and his hollow decided it was enough and Ichigo must arise stronger than ever. Watch as Ichigo learns how to accept himself and he becomes the person he always strived to be, the Protector. AU from the fight with Ulquiorra. Pairing undecided but will be more than just one.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Winter War (part I – Demise of the God)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"What in the world...?" Ichigo stood frozen as he watched at the slightly changed form of Ulquiorra Cifer, the Quatro Espada.

Their fight wasn't going well for Ichigo. He was getting trashed, even his hollow mask wasn't getting him anywhere. He didn't think it could get worse.

How wrong he was.

When Ulquiorra saw that Ichigo wasn't going to give up, he decided that it was time to end this.

"Behold, Kurosaki Ichigo. This is the form of true despair." Ulquiorra raised his reiatsu, holding his sword in front of him.

"**Resurrección, Segunda Etapa.**" Was everything he said when the black reiatsu exploded around him.

From the reiatsu emerged Ulquiorra in his final release, shocking Ichigo.

'Shit.' Ichigo thought. He was aware, that his chances to win dropped even more. Nevertheless, he got up once again. Ulquiorra looked at him in mild confusion.

"...After witnessing this form, do you still have the will to fight?"

Ichigo didn't answer and just stubbornly looked him in the eyes without blinking.

"Very well, in that case I shall make you understand, even if I have to grind your body into dust."

Next thing he knew, Ichigo was flying through the air and crashing into the stone pillars. He shook himself and quickly donned his hollow mask.

"You are a fool Kurosaki Ichigo. You challenge an opponent whose strength terrifies you and think that you can win. It is beyond my comprehension."

To prove his point, the Espada used Sonido and without losing momentum smashed Ichigo through other pillars, showing him the gap in their power.

After few minutes, when he saw that Ichigo was still trying to fight, Ulquiorra finally lost his patience and grabbed him around his neck.

"If it is due to what you humans call a "Heart", it is because of that hear that you suffer injuries and it is because of that heart that you will lose your life."

Blood trickled from his mouth when Ichigo shakily raised his head. He gritted his teeth.

"You think, that just because you are stronger than me, I'm just going to stop fighting and accpet my fate? I knew how strong you were even before we started this. I can see that you don't understand so I'll make it clear to you. I'm not fighting you, because I think I can win... I'm fighting you, because I have to win!" He struggled and broke lose of Ulquiorra's grip.

Said Espada just sighed.

"What nonsense..."

* * *

_Ishida & Orihime_

'I hope Kurosaki is alright, but that reiatsu from just few moments ago... I never felt something like that. It's not just the strength of it...its very nature is so overwhelming and terrifying... . I just have to believe he can win. If not... I don't think that Orihime could recover from that. Kurosaki... don't die.'

Finally, after few minutes they reached the top of the dome.

"I don't feel Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu, where is he?"

Orihime was frantically looking around when her eyes fell on the silhouette on top of one of the pillars.

"So you came, woman." Ulquiorra stated impassively. He was strangling the beaten form of Ichigo with his tail, keeping him slightly above the ground. Orihime stared at them horrified.

"Kurosaki...kun?"

'Shit. I didn't think it would be this bad. We need to help him.' Ishida tried to move, but his body was frozen from fear.

"Perfect, pay attention to the moment when the man you've entrusted your hopes to, seals off his life." Ulquiorra said and aimed his finger at Ichigo's chest. He charged black energy at the tip of his black fingernail.

"No! Stop!" Orihime yelled. But there was nothing she could do, as black energy, the Cero Oscuras pierced Ichigo, ripping through his bofy, leaving him with gaping hole int he middle of his chest. Ulquioora spared him one more stare and threw his limp body from the top of the pillar.

"Noooooo!" Orihime screamed with tears in her eyes. She raced to Ichigo's falling body, stopping him with her shield a second before it hit the ground. Ulquiorra went to intercept her, when Ishida finally rushed in to her aid.

Ichigo was feeling tired. Very tired. He was so tired, he couldn't even lift his fingers.

He realized that he was probably dying.

He helplessly watched as his friends tried to stall the moment, but got overpowered almost instantly. It was painfull just to watch. But what saddened him more was the look in Orihime's eyes when she kneeled before him and stared at his body.

She was looking helpless...hopeless. It was as if her eyes died right at that moment. There was a snapping sound and she jerked her head towards it. She saw as Ishida's arm was being broken and cut off. Suddenly it was too much for her and she broke down, crying her eyes out. She was screaming for Ichigo's name in desperation.

He heard her.

'She's calling.'

'She's calling me.'

'I can hear her.' He focused his remaining strength, trying to feel his body again.

'Stand up!...Stand up!'

And with all of his will he screamed into the darkness.

"I WILL PROTECT HER!"

* * *

Ishida was feeling hopeless. He knew that Ulquiorra was strong, but this was riddiculous.

'How in the hell has been Kurosaki able to fight him for this long? His reiatsu alone is suffocating me. Not to mention it took him only a few seconds before he made a bleeding pulp of me.' His repect for Ichigo raised a bit. He had to admit. If he was in Ichgio's feet, he would have given up long ago. It was truly admirable from him.

'Or stupid...that would be more precise in his case.' He smirked sadly.

Just when he was deciding to spare a glance at Ichigo, he was hit with the biggest amount of reiatsu he ever felt in his life. It topped the Quatro Espada easily. He turned his head. Along with him the same thing did the others.

They watched as Ichigo's presumably dead body suddenly glowed crimson red and slowly got up. When they took his appearance in, the sight startled even the stoic Espada. Before them stood... a creature in the tattered shihakusho, with white skin, long and sharp black claws, hole in its chest and the chest itself was covered in a tribal tatoo. On its wrist and around its neck was orange fur. Its hair was long, going at his waist. But the most frightening thing was its head. It was covered with a skull-like maske with a pair of horns protruding from it at its temple. They were curved, pointing upwards. Its eyes were glowing crimson red. It was an appearance of a hell knight.

"Impossible." Stated the startled Espada.

"You were dead just a moment ago. You cannot be alive. Who are you?"

'Is that Kurosaki? I almost pissed myself.' Ishida screamed in his mind.

"K-Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered in shock.

The creature stood still, looking at them without blinking.

"I asked who are you. Do you not understand me? Answer me!" Ulquiorra demanded.

The bizzare being turned its head and pointed its sight firmly at the Espada. It moved its hand backwards and Tensa Zangetsu flew from the ground right in its hand.

It made a slashing movement. Results were devastating.

The pressure from the slash alone shattered the ground around it, turning the solid stone into tiny particles of dust. It roared and exclluded even bigger amount of reiatsu, forcing Ishida and Orihime on their knees, slightly bending Ulquiorra.

"It seems that words are lost on you." Stated Espada a little bit surprised at the creature's reiatsu. He pointed his finger and formed Cero Oscuras again. But what shocked him was what the creature standing in front if him did after that.

It bend itself, pointing its horns at him and quickly formed a bright red orb of energy shooting it at him. Ulquiorra quickly released his Cero, deciding, he didn't want to feel that red energy at his skin.

There was a huge explosion, when two energies met, the red easily overpowering the black.

'Impossible. That was undeniably a cero. And one capable of scattering a Cero Oscuras at that...This cannot be, no matter how similiar he may be to a hollow, a human firing off a cero is-" He didn't have the time to complete his thought when with a buzzing sound the creature appeared behind him. He turned, but the creature grabbed his arm and with a quick slash cut it off, kicking him to the ground in the process.

Ishida and Orihime just stared at the scene befroe them dumbfounded.

The Espada got up from the ground grimacing at his lump of an arm.

"Tch." Was the only thing he said before a new arm formed before their eyes.

'High-speed regeneration!' Ishida thought.

"My greatest capability isn't offensive strength, it's regeneration.I can regenerate almost anything, besides my internal organs and brain. I don't know how you acquired that form, but even with your power-up, you cannot hope to defeat me, if you stop and stare after tearing a single limb." He almost smirked.

"Come, creature, I shall show you how insignificant you truly are."

* * *

_Ichigo_

Ichigo was floating through the darkness. He was nowhere. After a few moments, whitout warning he fell on the ground, swirling dust.

'Where am I?'

He blinked, trying to clear his sight, when he suddenly felt a presence and an iminent danger behind him. He jumped and narrowly dodged thin white sword that threatened to cut his head off.

**"O-ho Kingy, so you managed to avoid it. Oh well, I have plenty of time. But I think I'll stop calling you King, you pathetic loser."** What started as a laughter ended as an angry sneer.

Ichigo turned around and stood shocked. In front of him stood something akin to a hell knight in a white shihakusho with a long and white zanpaktou.

"Who are you?"

The one in white just tilted his head.

**"I'm hurt Ichigo, you don't even remember your stronger and more handsome partner? Boo-hoo, I think I'm gonna cry."** But he didn't and jumped at Ichigo, trying to cut his head off again.

"Hollow? What happened, why are you here and why do you look like this?" Ichigo parried the slash but his arms were pushed back instantly. 'Fuck, what's with him. This felt even stronger than Ulquiorra.' He stepped a fair distance to the back.

**"What happened? You are lame, that's what happened. You got yourself killed Ichigo. Surely you remember what I said the last time we met. 'If you'll give me an opportunity I'll seize this body for myself.' Does this ring any bells?"** Hollow said while slowly walking around Ichigo.

"I'm ...dead?"

**"Well, I'd be more than happy to fully confirm that, trust me, I really really do. But not exactly. Your spiritual body is dead, it's just your freaking mind that doesn't wanna go away. You are way too stubborn for your own good." **Hollow deadpanned.

"So it's just like last time we met? I beat you and I'll go back?" Ichigo smirked.

**"Oh, that confidence doesn't suit you Ichigo. No, it's not like last time. Because this time you won't beat me. You. Are. Outmatched."**

Hollow sped to him and slashed at him again. Ichigo barely had time to raise his sword and was blown away. He came from the rubble, but winced with every step he took. His whole body hurt like hell.

'This is impossible. He's even stronger than Ulquiorra.' He shook his head.

'Why? Why is even he so much stronger than me? Am I really that weak?'

He stopped his thinking when he had to dodge a jab. He sidestepped it and struck at the hollow, who only laughed and caught the blade in his right hand. He slapped him with the remaining hand and Ichigo was blown into the wall again.

**"You are weak Ichigo! Look around! Do you see any scyscraper in this place? It used to be full of them. But your inability to do what is needed to be done made you pathetic. Look at yourself. With two strikes you look dead on your feet. Do you know why? I'll answer your unasked question. I'm stronger that you because I know who and what I am. I know my strength, I know my weaknesses. You are just a loser with a great Zanpaktou. You should have been equally strong as me, if not more. You have Zangetsu, the best Zanpaktou, but you never try to unleash its full power. You cower in fear and can't even hollowify for fuck sake." **Ichigo looked ath the ground, ashamed.

The hollow stared at him hard.

**"You know what? I'll give you your last chance. If you'll give me answers, good answers I'll release your body. But if you won't, I'll erase your existence."**

Ichigo looked at him confused.

"Why are you being nice? Last time you were trying to kill me without giving me any room to breathe, but now you're talking to me, you're even trying to help me. I don't get it. What changed?"

His hollow frowned.

**"You may think of me anything, and in most cases you are right. But i'm not stupid ichigo. I'm confident, but I'm no fool. I can't kill Aizen alone. I could just forget about the war and go somewhere else. But if that damned shinigami of yours are dead and Aizen would win, there would be nowhere, where I could run away from him. But I refuse to be a partner to someone lame. Now, think hard."**

Ichigo opened his mouth but stopped himself from speaking. In mere minutes he realized what his hollow wanted. It wasn't that hard. He just never really thought about it.

'I was a fool. I should have known better.' He chuckled sadly, confusing his hollow.

**"What's so funny?"**

Ichigo sighed.

"I know what you wanna hear. I laughed because I realized that you are right."

Hollow frowned. Ichigo never admitted he was wrong before.

"It's just like with Zangetsu. He told me to look forward. To abandon my fears. But ever since I found out about you, I was afraid. I was trying to supress you because I feared you. Thought I'd turn out like Kenpachi, that I'd turn to a psychopat. I was thrown into despair when I couldn't protect my friends and that despair dulled my blade. My resolve was broken, my instincts supressed, my will was wavering."

His hollow just stared at him.

"Now I realize what I did wrong. You once told me that you and Zangetsu are both my powers. But till now I only used Zangestu without fear. Even that was done wrong. I only talked to him when I needed help. I never tried to actually get to know him. I thought that I was the one who was in control. But I know what you're trying to tell me and i understand. Without Zangetsu I would be nothing. Zangetsu is a part of me and he's the one I should listen to. With his help I can be strong. Just using him as a tool is wrong. Same thing with you. You were a crazy maniac and still are, but you're also a part of me. If I can't accept this fact, I'll never be able to defeat strong opponents. As you said few times, you are my instinct and I refused to use it. But I shouldn't be afraid of myself. I have to accpet who I am. After all, what being doesn't use instinct?" Ichigo stopped his monologue and looked at his hollow who was now grinning.

**"Sooo, the point is whaaaat?"**

Ichigo grinned too.

"Point is, you are a part of me. Zangetsu is my strength, you are my instinct and with the two of you, I am complete."

Ichigo had to cover his eyes when a small explosion engulfed the hollow. When the air cleared, next to him was a young man in black, smiling slightly.

"Hello Ichigo. I'm proud of you."

"Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked confused. The man in black sighed and facepalmed.

"What is the name of your bankai Ichigo?"

"T-Tensa Zangetsu?" Said person nodded.

"Soooo what now-gah!" Ichigo was interrupted when a white sword pierced him through his stomach.

"What...the... hell?" Ichigo panted. He looked down and saw his hollow grinning at him.

**"Now we'll see if-." ** He was cut off when he startted to disappear slowly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

**"Huh, guess he really did it."**

"What?" Ichigo looked at him confused.

"It means, that you truly accepted your hollow as a part of you." Tensa Zangetsu explained with a smile.

**"So long, sucker!" **Hollow smirked and disappeared.

Ichigo wanted to ask more, but he felt a burning sensation growing within himself. It slowly turned into a pain.

He fell on the ground, clutching his stomach. The pain was great, but it only lasted a few moments when an explosion engulfed him.

Ichigo watched in diseblief as all of his wounds were being heales, his muscled getting more profound. Not on the level of Kenpachi, but it was still an improvement. He felt his hair frowing and falling on his shoulders with a mixture of red and black on its ends.

Next, he felt something on his chest. He looked down and he saw black markings spreading on his chest and reaching to his neck. An amazing surge of reiatsu surrounded him. His eyes widened when he felt it being absorbed by him. He felt his own reiatsu raising to an unimaginable levels. When it was over, he stood up.

'Damn, this feels good.'

"What happened?" Ichigo asked the only one standing in front of him.

"You merged with your hollow." Tensa Zangetsu simply said.

"It feels good." Ichigo admitted.

**"Of course it feels good. We are now what we should have been long time ago. We're baddass."** Hollow voice echoed around them making Ichigo jump in surprise.

"Woah! What the hell?"

**"Don't worry, it's just my beautiful voice. My handsome body isn't here anymore."** His hollow laughed.

Ichigo facepalmed. He was glad that they weren't fighting anymore, but it seemed that his hollow was still a little bit crazy.

"I think I should give you a name. It's strange always refering to you as a hollow. What do you think about... Shirosaki?"

He could almost see the surprised face of his hollow.

**"Heh, you surprised me there Kingy. I think I can live with Shirosaki, being white and everything."**

"So, anything I should be wary of, now that we are merged?"

Tensa Zangetsu answered for Shirosaki.

"Well, you can already feel that your reserves of reiatsu increased greatly, along with all of your basic attributes. Since you have all the memories of Shirosaki, you probably understand that you can use your hollow powers too, but in different matter. Just don't use it yet and reserve it for Aizen as a triumph card. As with me, you'll have to train to gain all of the abilities it offers, but that's a given."

Ichigo smiled apologethically at his Zanpaktou.

"Yeah, about that. I promise that after we deal with all of this, I'll train hard, so that I could use your powers to the full capability too. I hope you can forgive me for my ignorance Tensa."

His zanpaktou smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm happy that you realized it. And it only took a little bit of ass-kicking from Shirosaki."

Ichigo looked at him incredulously. Did his Zanpaktou just make a joke?

**"You should go Kingy. But don't forget...with great power comes great responsibility."** Shirosaki said , trying to sound serious. But the sound of his laughter destroyed his hopes.

**"Bwahaha. Sorry, I always wanted to say that, but it's really cheesy. Screw it, just kick ass Kingy."** He laughed again as his voice faded aways as well as Ichigo's sight.

'He may be alright after all, but he certainly is crazy.'

* * *

_Ishida & Orihime_

Ishida was scared. He hated to admit it, but he was scared as hell. The creature before him has mercilessly beaten the Espada who thought, that the game was still on.

"He ... beat him..." Ishida said in disbelief.

From the ground Ulquiorra glanced at the creature.

"To think that I... would be defeated by a human who had transformed into a hollow..." He stopped talking as he felt a leg with claws pushing his head into the cold stone and saw red orb of energy forming above him.

"I see, no mercy huh? How very hollow-like. I don't mind. I have lost to you, I no longer have any meaning...**Do it.**"

Orihime and Ishida closed their eyes as a huge red explosion from the creature Cero tore through Ulquiorra and even through the dome itself, blowing stone debris everywhere.

Ishida stood behind Orihime's shield, that protected them from being hurt. He watched terrified as the creature threw the remains of Ulquiorra on the ground.

"Kurosaki.."

But the creature didn't stop there. It walked towards the Ulquiorra's body, raising its sword and pointing it at his head.

"That's enough Kurosaki." Ishida said as he quickly came and caught the creature's hand.

"It's finished. He's an enemy but there's no need to carve up his corpse. So that's enough Kurosaki..." The creature tried to move its hand.

"Can't you hear me Kurosaki?! I'm telling you to stop...! If you do that...you truly won't be human anymore!" The tip of the blade moved closer to Ulquiorra's throat.

"Kurosaki!" Ishida yelled, but he found himself blown away as there was another explosion.

Area around the creature exploded in red and Ishida and Orihime were hit by a monstrous reiatsu so large it knocked them unconscious.

Last thing Ishida saw before he fainted was a black dust being blown away, from the space where Ulquiorra's body laid.

When he came to, he saw a pair of concerned eyes looking at him. He screamed in surprise.

"Whoa, calm down Ishida, it's me." He heard the unchanged voice of Ichigo.

"Kuro...Kurosaki? What, what happened? Where's Ulquiorra, where's Orihime...is that a tattoo?" Ishida asked rapidly. Ichigo just raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? So it's Orihime now and not Inoue-san?" He smirked as he saw Ishida's cheek redden.

"Just breath and wait a minute and I'll explain everything. You don't have to worry about Ulquiorra by the way. He won't come back." Ichigo said and moved to Orihime.

She was looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"Is that really you Kurosaki-kun?" She asked, fear in her voice evident.

He looked at her in concern. He seemed to ponder about something and then he surprised both of them.

He hugged her.

Orihime immediately blushed deeply and begun to stutter.

"K-k-k-kurosaki-kun? Wha-what are you doing?"

He rubbed her back.

"It's alright Orihime. I'm sorry for everything that I put you through. But all is fine now. You don't have to be scared anymore. And for the love of god, call me just Ichigo, kay?" He smiled at her encouragingly.

She blushed even deeper but nodded.

He stood up and looked at them.

"I assume you have many questions but time is short so I'll give you a shortened version. Okay?" Ishida looked at Orihime and they both nodded. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"As you could saw, my fight with Ulquiorra was hardly a fight. He started trashing me just after he released. Even with my hollow mask I was no match for him. I still thought, however, that I could win somehow. But then he released for the second time. I don't know how is that possible but... well, afterwards it felt like I was back at the Sokyoku Hill fighting Aizen. Like an ant fighting an elephant. You saw the ending, he caught me and...killed me." He heard a gasp from Orihime.

"Don't worry, as you can see I'm very much alive. It seems that I'm more stubborn that you thought. Even after my spiritual body died, my mind didn't want to leave. I heard Orihime crying for help so I pushed myself to fight. But I wasn't in control. Well, I woke up in my mindscape and from my hollow I found out that I'm dead. He was going to take over my body so we fought. But the fight was over even faster that with Ulquiorra. He overpowered me with two strikes." Ishida raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it too. But surprisingly, he didn't kill me. He...told me something and I realized that I was weak."

"Kurosaki-k...Ichigo is not weak." Orihime objected quickly.

He smiled at her.

"Thank you Orihime, but he was right. I was weak. He made me realize why. I won't go into details but... well, we came to a mutual agreement and...Ishida, please refrain from shooting me ... and we merged?" There was a silence and Ichigo nervously glanced at his friends. Orihime was confused and Ishida narrowed his eyes.

"Basically, I'm still me, but I finally accepted who I am. I accepted, that my hollow is a part of me. I am now complete and can finally fight with full strength.

Ishida was staring at him dangerously.

"What do you mean 'accepted him'?" He asked sharply.

Ichigo sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look. I know it's hard to accept but it's the truth. When I regained my powers I somehow managed to get a hollow inside me. I didn't do it on purpose. Ever since I found out I tried to fight him, supress him... simply block him. But how can you be complete while trying to supress part of your own soul? It was hard for me to accept that I was a part hollow, but he's part of me. I just hope that you'll someday understand it."

Ishida grimaced and sighed.

"I won't lie to you. I don't like it. That...thing that fought Ulquiorra was terrifying but if you can control it...just give me time, okay?" Ichigo nodded, he was expecting it.

"Is that why you have longer hair ... Ichigo?" Orihime asked shyly.

"Yeah, with me accepting my hollow...sorry, Shirosaki, that's his name... came some changes. Nothing major, it's just that I'm stronger and I have this cool tatoo, look." He opened his repaired shihakusho and showed them his chest. Orihime's eyes looked as if they wanted to bulge out and she blushed furiously. Ishida raised both his eyebrows and his lips twitched.

"Enjoy explaining that to your father Kurosaki."

"Crap. Goat-chin will kill me." Ichigo groaned. Orihime giggled and Ichigo looked away.

"I'm really glad that both of you aren't scared of me."

"To be honest, I'm still little bit freaked out about you decimating Ulquiorra...but well. Speaking of whom, I don't see his body."Ishida looked around confused.

Ichigo's smile lessend a bit.

"Ah...yeah, I'm not proud of how the fight ended. I never wanted to kill him...but I can't forgive him for what he had done so I'll try not to mope about it much. It was me or him. About his body...well, after I merged with my hollow our reiatsu combined and the pressure was probably too much for his weakened body and he turned into dust. By the way, when you prevented that...well my hollow form from cutting Ulquiorra's head off, you weren't doing very logical thing."

"What? I didn't want you to do unneccessary thing!" Ishida exclaimed.

"Remember one thing. Ulquiorra said he had amazing regenerative abilities. My ... hollow form reacted on pure instinct and it just wanted to prevented him from regenerating. It wasn't doing it for fun."

"Oh...right." Ishida remembered.

"It's just...it looked horrible. Nevermind. You said that when you merged, your reiatsu and your hollow reiatsu combined. So that monstrous reiatsu was yours? If yes, why I can't feel it anymore...well, at least not that strongly at least."

Ichigo grinned.

"Yep, mine. You can't feel my reiatsu that much because I have better control of my reiatsu. Before my control was extremely poor because my hollow side and my shinigami side were in conflict. Now that they are combined I leak only a little bit of my reiatsu."

Ishida looked at him as if he was crazy.

'He calls this a little bit? It's not that monstrous, but it still feels like a reiatsu of a Captain of Gotei 13. And he's saying he's preventing from leaking more?...I don't even want to know how much reiatsu he now really has.'

"What, something on my face?" Ichigo smirked when he realized what Ishida was thinking.

"Well, it looks like merging with your hollow increased your sense of humor." Ishida deadpanned.

"Nah, it's because I trust myself more and I feel relaxed. What do you say Orihime, isn't that an improvement?"

Orihime looked at him and averted his gaze.

"I think that Ichigo is improved in more ways than just sense of humor." She said quietly and wiped a little drool from her mouth.

Ichigo just opened his mouth to say something but he quicky closed them. He looked at Ishida who was staring at her in shock. He quickly regained his senses.

"So does your better control mean, that cou can seal your zanpaktou?" Ishida asked.

Ichigo glanced at his cleaver-like sword.

"Nope. Zangetsu doesn't like to be sealed and truthfully it doesn't really matter if I have better control. I have too much reiatsu to be able to seal my zanpaktou."

"Nonsense, even Captain Commander keeps his sword sealed."

"Well, maybe I have more reiatsu than jii-san." Ichigo joked. Ishida just raised both of his eyebrows.

'Could it really be true?' He mused

"For now I think I should go down and help the others. I felt a strong reiatsu from below. You two take care of your injuries first and then come down. You can rest for a while too. It's been a long day." They both nodded and with that Ichigo stood up and wnt to the hole in the roof.

"See ya later." And he jumped.

"Do you really think we should stay here Ishida-kun?" Asked Orihime nervously.

'Haaah, I really want her to call me by my first name too.' He caught himself thinking and immediately his cheeks gained a slight pink colour.

"Yeah, I think we should rest. Kurosaki will be just fine. If not, I'll kick his ass and then I'll bring his father to help me." Orihime giggled again.

"Okay Ishida-kun, now show me your arm..."

* * *

_Rukia & Renji & Chad_

"Damn it, what's going on up there?" Reji yelled. Just a few moments ago they were all pushed to the ground when an extremely heavy reiatsu hit them.

"Whatever that was, we must trust Ichigo to take care of it." Shakingly said Rukia.

"I agree." Chad replied.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and a huge figure emerged from the debris.

"What the..." Renji yelled again.

"It's him. Yammy." Chad exclaimed.

"Huuh? Yammy? Well he certainly doesn't look yummy. He is the one captain Hitsugaya mentioned, right?" Renji said.

"Yeah, but something is wrong here. I remember him. He was big back when I first met him, but certainly not this huge." Chad pointed at the figure that menacingly stood before them.

"Tch, that damn four-eyes. I'll never forgive him!" Yeammy roared.

All three were hit with the pressure of his roar. They skidded a few inches. Just then Yammy spotted them.

"Huh? What is this? Some worms are at my feet? Bah! You won't be enough to even warm me up." And he tore off his shirt. They all could see his number. It was 10.

"Guys, did you fight Espada before?" Renji asked.

"Yeah, but not for long."

"Yes..."

"Well, it's not like I won either, but his number is ten. He should be the weakest one. If we concentrate together, we should be able to get him down and then we'll go get Ichigo." Renji stood into a stance, firmly grasping Zabimaru.

"Huuh? What are you flapping about you piece of shit? Get me down? You? You're just pissing me off very nicely. **Get pissed, IRA!"**

With an explosion Yammy released his sword., Before their very eyes his numbre began to change. The 1 from 10 erased itself and only 0 remained.

"What the flying fuck is going on?" Renji yelled.

Yammy grinned.

"Who said that the numbers of the ten Espada went from 1 to 10? They go from 0 to 9. After I store my power I can fully release. Say hi to your death."

"I am Zero Espada Yammy Ryialgo." He smashed his fist into the ground and sent all three of them flying into different directions, painfully hitting the ground in the process. He looked around and saw Rukia slowly getting up. He flashed to her and grabbed her.

"Well that was pathetic. You didn't last nothing. And you especially are so tiny, I can hardly hold you without squashing you. Bah! Fly like the bug you are!" And he threw her against the ground.

'Gah, what insane strength, I can't even move, the pressure of air alone is too much.' Rukia thought she was going to die.

Yammy looked down as a little boom was heard after Rukia hit the ground.

'What the...I'm not dead?' Rukia looked up and her almost stopped. Before her stood Ichigo in his intact shihakusho, leisurely holding Zangetsu on his shoulders. He looked like a prince to her right now.

'Wait, what am I thinking? But is this really Ichigo? He didn't have such long hair...and he looks ... bulkier?'

Without turning Ichigo greeted her.

"Yo Rukia, I thought that a shinigami of your caliber can at least land on the ground without help huh?" He said cheekily.

Rukia blushed.

"Y-you fool! I was alright, you didn't have to save me you know. Hmph!"

Ichigo smiled a little under his nose.

"Riiiight."

"YOU! Kurosaki Ichigo!" Yammy roared.

"Oh? You've gotten bigger since the last time we met. And a lot more uglier I must say." Ishigo smirked.

"I'm gonna kill you, you piece of shit." Yammy charged and released a Cero at ichigo.

"Look out!" Rukia screamed at him.

Ichigo turned his head to Rukia while holding the Cero at bay with Zangetsu. He grinned at her.

"Aw, don't tell me you are afraid for me. I'm touched midget. Don't worry though, I got this. You just go and help Chad and Renji. Get them somewhere safe and wait. Orihime and Ishida will get here soon." He deflected the Cero and jumped to greet Yammy with his sword.

Rukia stared at him dumbfounded.

'Did he just casually stop a Cero from the strongest Espada like it was nothing? And when did he start to call Inoue with her first name?' It was the second question that bugged her more, to her surprise.

'I should get those two...' She thought irritated.

Meanwhile Ichigo jumped up to meet Yammy's gaze. When he was sure he got his attention he sped away.

"Stop running away you worm!" Yammy yelled at him.

Ichigo turned his head and stared at him.

"Running away? You wish ugly. I'm just getting away from where my friends are... now I can beat you down with raw power." He flashed around the huge body of Yammy.

"Getsuga...Tensho!" He sent a huge blast of crescent energy at him who had no time to react and got hit with full force.

'Huh, I put the same amount of reiatsu into that attack as the last time, but it seemed to be a lot more bigger. Interesting.' Ichigo noted.

"Gaaargh! I'll kill you!" Yammy roared.

When the air cleared, they all could see that Yammy got him right arm cut off at the shoulder.

"Aargh! You piss me off greatly Kurosaki Ichigo!" An explosion of reiatsu later and Yammy stood before him even bigger than just a few seconds ago.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows, he didn't expect this.

"What the hell just happened?" Renji asked after he was helped to his feet.

"I don't know." Rukia said worried.

"Aaah. This is good. I guess you are surprised huh Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yammy laughed at him

Ichigo just stared at him quietly.

"My ressurección is Ira, the anger itself is my strength. The more I get pissed, the stronger I become. You are done." He tried to punch him, but Ichgio flashed behind him.

'Now that's an irritating release.'

**'The more you cut him the bigger he gets. Just cut his head off and be done with it. He's not worthy of our attention.' **Shirosaki said.

'Yeah, I know. I didn't want to be that brutal but it seems I have no other option.'

"Don't move around you worm!" Yammy boomed at him.

"Sure." Ichigo replied and flashed even faster behind his neck. He gathered a little more of his reiatsu and poured it into Zangetsu.

"I'm sorry but I have no time for you. GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo yelled and released a huge Getsuga at his neck. The force of the impact blew him back a little.

"That should have done it." He muttered.

The trio was silently watching him.

"Do you think...he won?" Renji asked tentatively.

"I doubt it. Ichigo is strong but this is the strongest Espada. It would probably take at least two captains to defea-." Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted when they saw as Yammy's huge head crashed into the ground with his body still standing.

'No way...that's impossible.' She turned her head to Renji and she found him gaping at the head too. Chad looked indifferent, but his eyes looked surprised. She squawked when Ichigo flash-stepped next to her.

"Well, you seem to be wide awake. With that ugly thing down you can finally take your time to rest and wait for Orihime to heal you." He said nonchalantly.

"What in the fucking hell just happened Ichigo? How did you beat him and what of Ulquiorra?" Rukia rapidly fired questions.

"Oi. Calm down midget. I took him down simply because I'm stronger than he was and Ulquiorra is done for." He missed their shocked faces and turned to Chad.

"You okay Chad?" Said giant nodded lightly.

"Wait wait wait. Ichigo, I know that you're strong but there's no way you were this strong before." Rukia looked at him suspiciously.

"I know but we don't have the time to-" He suddenly side-stepped and narrowly missed a sword that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Yo Kenpachi, I didn't thnik you'd come here. And you even brought Byakuya." Ichigo grinned as he turned to face equally grinning Zaraki Kenpachi and scoqling Kuchiki Byakuya.

"What's this Ichigo, you already beat him. Come on, leave some for the rest of us too." Kenpachi whined, looking at the body of Zero Espada.

"When will he stop calling me by my first name?" Byakuya muttered under his nose.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia exclaimed. Byakuya glanced at her.

"Calm down Rukia, you have injuries that need to be treated." He replied stoically and turned to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have no other business here. Depart to the world of the living. You are a protector of the Karakura Town. Go there. We will take over from here."

Ichigo snorted.

"Yeah, it's not like I took down 3 members of Espada in a few hours for you myself huh? Would it kill you to at least acknowledge me a little? But, that's just you so I guess no harm done."

'He took down three Espadas on his own? That can't be right.' Byakuya looked at him with surprise in his eyes.

"And I know I need to get to Karakura Town but Aizen seald off every Garganta and without Urahara-san's hel-"

"Enough with Urahara Kisuke already." A new voice interrupted him.

Ichigo jerked his head.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri?"

"Hmph, a lowly class shinigami adressing me without honorifics? But since you call these two clowns with their first names I should consider myself lucky for that." He waved his hand.

"Oh? Such leniency. Would it be related to that wagon?" Byakuya nodded towards the small whicle pushed by Nemu, the Vice-Captain of the 12th Division.

Mayuri grinned wickedly.

"Ah yes, I'm in a very good mood, I got many samples and other... things during my stay. Also I had the time to study the structure of the Garganta and without failures I must add. Hmm, I'm in such a good mood I'll let this orange haired monkey to be my first experimental victim. Nemu!" Ichigo nervously watched as Nemu prepared the equipment.

"Experimental victim? What do you-" He was interrupted for the second time.

"No need to worry Kurosaki-san. I shall go with you." Came a voice of Unohana Retsu, Captain of the 4th Division.

She flash-stepped next to him and looked at him with speculative eyes.

"You look quite differently Kurosaki-san."

Others raised their eyebrows in question too, as they took in his new appearance.

"Right, well... I guess I had a sudden growth spurt. Don't worry I'm fine." He assured them.

"More than fine." Mumbled Unohana quietly with a glint in her eyes. Others looked at her in shock, while Rukia blushed a little.

Ichigo looked at her scandalized and swallowed nervously.

"Isane." Unohana called.

"H-hai?" Her Vice-Captain came from behind her with pink cheeks, avoiding Ichigo's eyes.

"Stay here with Captains Kurotsuchi, Zaraki and Kuchiki. Me and Kurosaki-san will go to Karakura Town."

"Wait, I'm not sure I trust him to open a safe Garganta." Ichigo protested quietly.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure it will be fine. After all, if he came ot Hueco Mundo and used an Arrancar scientist's research material to analyze a Garganta, only to have it fail, Urahara Kisuke would surely have alaugh at his expense, isn't that right Captain Kurotsuchi?" She asked sweetly. Mayuri's eyebrows twitched.

"Think carefully before you speak. The fact that I've analyzed it meand that I can also close it midway." He threatened.

"As I would expect from you. Off we go Kurosaki-san."

"Oh...okay. See you guys."

Nemu and Mayuri meanwhile opened a Garganta. From the pillar he stood on, Mayuri said.

"I won't explain to you the small things, just beware of your footing. It takes only one bad step and you will fall into a void between the Human world and Hueco Mundo unable to get out... well that would make a good research material though...What?" He asked irritated when he saw Ichigo chuckling.

"No nothing. I just remembered that Urahara-san, when he sent us off, also stood somewhere high and talked to us."

"What?"

"In fact, you are a second director of the Technology Development Bureau, so that means that some time ago you must have been his student. That's why you guys have some similarities." He grinned cheekily.

"You swine...!" Mayuri growled.

Ichigo just saluted and jumped in the Garganta with Unohana after him.

"I see. Fufufufu, you're an interesting man Kurosaki Ichigo... I will find a way to install a fear so great in you, that you'll think of today as a pleasant memory, just you wait." He grimaced evilly.

"Understand Mayuri-sama, I'll think of a plan." Nemus said with a plan already forming in her head.

Byakuya glanced at the wierd duo.

'I almost pity the fool...'

* * *

_Ichigo & Unohana_

Ichigo was sliding through the darkness with Unohana behind him. He glanced back at her when he heard her speaking.

"Kurosaki-san, there was something I wanted to ask confronted Aizen Sousuke on Soukyoku Hill right?"

Ichigo frowned.

"Yeah, but it wasn't too much of a battle. He decimated me without an effort. I couldn't do a thing to him." He muttered darkly, but Unohana smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. The fact that there was such a big difference in power between you and him...that's most fortunate. I'll tell you one thing Kurosaki-san. Right now you are probably the only one in whole Soul Society who can defeat Aizen." Ichigo looked at her confused.

"What are you-?"

"Kurosaki-san, do you know what the power of Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu is?" Unohana interrupted him politely.

"Not a clue."

"His main ability is illusion, or should I say in his words, a perfect illusion. Just by seeing him release his sword once, he is able to completely control all of your senses, making you see or hear only what he wants to. We, that means me, other Captains and Vice-Captains, saw him release long time ago when he became a Captain. Since that, we cannot fight him effectively."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Well...fuck. That really is a hax power. So I just have to keep him from releasing by quickly overpowering him right?"

"Overpower him? Now, now Kurosaki-san. You're far too lucid to be saying this kind of nonesense you'd mumble in your sleep. I know that your reiatsu is that of a Captain, since I can feel it even now, but overpowering Aizen? Now Kurosaki-san, get real." She smiled at him sweetly.

"Hey! Don't you think you've been a little too harsh lately? Besided I'm not joking or talking nonesense. What you feel right now is only a fraction of my full reiatsu. I'm keeping it as low as I can. Besides I'm in my shikai. My full reiatsu is a lot more than this." He closed his eyes for a second and raised his reiatsu.

"See, this is still only about a quarter of my full reiatsu."

He saw Unohana's eyes widen and jaw dropping.

'It can't be. This is not even a quarter of his reiatsu? And I misjudged his total reiatsu to be on a par with that of a Captain? Impossible. If that's really true...then he can not only become our triumph card against Aizen..."

Unohana couldn't believe what she heard. In her eyes, Ichigo was still a kid, a newborn. If he could gain so much power only after a few months and without proper training... there was no way of telling what he could become after a hundres of years, or even a millenia. She herself was several hundreds years old, but she never saw someone with this much potential. It was riddiculous, preposterous... improbable...and it was also making her heart beat faster.

Her cheeks gained a pink colour when she thought about it. During her long life there were only a few men that could gain her attention. She was strong, even by Captain standards. She only joined 4th Division after certain incident. In a match she was certain she could take down most of the current Captains. But this boy, only 16 years old and still living, was already showing a potentail to beat her? If only he would enjoy his fights a little more... She shook her head, this was not the time for this.

"Kurosaki-san... as I remembe,r you said that you fought 3 members of Espada today. Are you sure you are at 100%?" She asked Ichigo, making him ponder about it.

He was watching her face earlier, since he told her about her reiatsu. He was sure she wouldn't believe him. It made him almost wish he could read her thoughts. But when her cheeks got pink he threw that idea away quickly.

His father taught him only one clever thing about women. _'Never try to understand woman's mind. Your head would just explode.'_

'Yep, true that, goat-chin.'

"Well, after I got my...growth spurt, my wound healed but I guess you're right. I'm not at full power."

"Alrigth Kurosaki-san, you go ahead and I'll restore your reiatsu to your maximum while we are running."

He looked at her in genuine surprise.

"You can do that? Amazing." He was thankfull. There was no time for stopping.

"Thank you. But, Kurosaki-san. You do realize what you have to do, once we reach the end, don't you?" She looked at him with a sad smile. She would never want for someone this young having to kill.

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah...I know. I realize that many lives depend on me and I won't let anyone die because of him. I don't think I can kill him with one attack, but I hope it can weaken him at least."

And with that, they continued to run.

* * *

_Fake Karakura Town_

"So, this is supposed to be the might of the great Gotei 13? I'm disappointed." Aizen said, looking down at the broken bodies of Captains and Vice-Captains of Gotei 13.

He defeated them shortly after he decided it was time to move to the real Karakura Town instead of this fake. It was really boring, watching some of the Captains struggle against his top three Espada first. There were, however, bright moments. He was fascinated when Captain Sui-Feng cut off her arm to prevent herself from being killed by Barragan's Respira. He was almost certain that the cold female Captain would sacrifice her fat Lieutenant, but surprisingly, she didn't let him.

Harribel against Captain Hitsugaya was main disappointment for him. He expected more from the young prodigy. Even with his bankai he was useless against her. Maybe it was because of the elemental match-up, where she just had to use his frozen water and turn it into her attacks. Aizen thought that maybe the Captain was holding back and that he would use Kido at least, but after the small prodigy tried to freeze Harribel, what left him breathing heavily from exhaustion, Aizen knew that it was all he could get from him.

The final battle, Starrk against Captain Kyoraku was as he expected. Both of the fighters were strong but quite lazy. Tey took turns to attack each other inbetween their small talk. Even after Captain Ukitake joined the fight, Starrk was able to hold his own while being lazy, which didn't surprise Aizen. He knew that Starrk was his strongest Espada, even if he made him Primera and not Zero.

It was when the group of people he thought long dead (but suspected them alive), the Vizoreds came, the fun begun. They all tried to help and interfere in other fights. For Aizen, it was the perfect chance to taunt them a little, to make them to rash decisions. Little Hyiori came right after him after a few taunts, getting herself caught by Gin. That was the signal for the real battle to begin. Hirako Shinji, his previous Captain tried to catch him off guard by using special ability of his Sakanade.

Of course, that was a mistake. Aizen was a master of illusions and the little trick with confusing directions was nothing for him. It was only after he took him down, that the old Captain Commander finally joined the fray.

Aizen actually laughed when he saw the look in Yamamoto's eyes after he let Wonderweiss seal off his Ryuujin Jakka. It was true that the old man was a force to be reckon with, even without his zapanktou, however after learning that Wonderweiss held all fires of Ryuujin Jakka in himself... old man trying to contain his own fire was an amusing sight.

Although, he impressed Aizen. To live after an explosion like that, Yamamoto truly was fit to lead the Gotei 13. Even Aizen wouldn't want to face him one-on-one without some backup plan.

Commander then tried to use the sacrificing Kido on him, but with a luck, he managed to got away with a small injuries.

In that moment Aizen decided to end this charade. He quickly dispatched his Espada, who were starting to be overwhelmed (Vizards joining their fight were proving too much for them...well not for Starrk though. He smirked, when he told them that he alone was stronger than the three of them combined. He proved that by defeating all the remaining forces of Gotei 13.

Disappointing indeed.

"Well, I'd like to stay and chat but I nee-."

His speech was interrupted by an explosion.

* * *

_Ichigo_

'This is it. The end of Garganta. I'm now strong, stronger than ever. I have to strike Aizen as soon as I can. I must not think about it.' Ichigo was muttering to himself.

When he got to the end, thtough the small hole he made, he heard and saw Aizen making some kind of speech.

'Perfect timing.'

And he tore through the barrier and silently sent out a huge Getsuga at Aizen's back.

* * *

_Fake Karakura Town_

Everyone looked up as they saw orange haired boy jump from the Garganta and sending his attack at the back of Aizen's head.

'Striking from behind as soon as he could. Heh, So he's not hopeless.' Sui-Feng thought. She never warmed up to the boy, he was after all hindering Yoruichi-sama. But when she saw him attacking clueless Aizen, she noticed that something was different about him.

'Well, I guess I could try to be nicer to him.' Suzumebachi only laughed in her head.

The others just watched as his Getsuga hit some kind of barrier, that Aizen put at the back of his nech.

When Aizen felt Ichigo's presence behind him, he smirked, expecting his barrier to repel the boy's attack. But he quickly raised his sword to defend himself, when he noticed the barrier shatter against the force of the strike. He was engulfed in an explosion and sent to the building across the street.

"Huh, what do you know, it actually worked...whoa, damnit, what happened here!?"

Ichigo looked around dumbstruck. Captains and Lieutenants were all lying inrubble, some injured more lightly than others. When he saw Hyiori he quickly turned to the Garganta.

"Unohana-san, screw the plan, you need to come out. Quickly, we have serious wounds here!"

He flash-stepped to Hyiori and Hacchi that was trying to stabilize her.

Ichigo grimaced at her injury and turned to Hacchi.

"Shit, what happened here?" Hacchi only shook his head, desperately trying to keep Hyiori alive.

"Kurosaki-san, go. You'd be only a hindrance here . I promise I'll put her back together." Unohana was already kneeling next to Hyiori with green light of healing Kido glowing on her hands.

Others were just looking at Ichigo in surprise.

'He was able to struck Aizen?'

"Ichigo... you're late you dumbass." Shinji breathed from the ground.

"But you brought Unohana. I may forgive you." He twitched a little from the pain and clutched his shoulder.

"Shinji...shit, talk to you later. I think Aizen is getting up." He waved the Vizored and jumped away.

'Yeah, kick his ass.' Shinji thought with concern. Ichigo was their last hope to defeat Aizen.

"I'm impressed Kurosaki Ichigo. You were able to do something that a whole Gotei 13 could not. You managed to strike me. And your reiatsu is simply...thrilling." Aizen said, while coming up from the rubble. He wasb bleeding from the deep cut on his back. It seemed that in the last second he managed to deflect Ichigo's Getsuga from his neck.

"Oi, Aizen, that sounded so wrong. You know I don't swing that way." Ichigo grimaced in disgust.

Aizen's mouth twitched in annoyance.

"Your personality seems to have changed during your stay in Hueco Mundo. Tell me Kurosaki, what happened? Since you are here I assume you somehow defeated Ulquiorra. It seems that your reiatsu is changed. Even your hair seems longer, not to mention your body gained some weight. Interesting."

"I won't repeat myself. I don't swing that was and it almost sounds like you are trying to flirt with me. Should I be scared Aizen? I heard that you never once looked at any woman with interest. So straight to the point... are you gay?" Ichigo backed a little and laughed in his mind when he noticed flash of anger that went through Aizen's eyes.

"No, women are nothing but just a hindrance for a God."

"Riiight."

Aizen frowned.

"But really now Kurosaki, you truly behave differently from before...?" It was a question and Ichigo struggled with an answer.

"Well... you can say my... other partner's behaviour finally rubbed on me." He didn't want to admit before the whole Gotei 13 that he had his inner hollow yet. But he also wasn't sure if they didn't already know.

"Ah, I see. So what happens now Kurosaki? Surely you don't want to fight me? You are here, which means you saved the girl and your friends are fine. What other reasons to fight me you have? Tell me." Ichigo raised his eyebrows.

"What happens now? I'll kick your ass, that's what's going to happen. That my friends are fine is great, but that's not relevnt right now. You have done things to them, you made them see things that no 16 years old kid should have seen. You are threatening my family, you want to destabilize Soul Society. Even if I didn't care for Soul Society now, it's still the place when all of would go after our death. Besides, I consider most of the members of Gotei 13 as my friends. I may be naive, but for now I believe them. Should they turn on me..well that's not the time for that is it huh? So what I'm saying is... get ready for the beating of your life, Aizen!" And he flashed to him swinging his sword at him.

The members of Gotei 13 were listening to them through the whole time, trying to find out why was he fighting too. Some of them were surprised that he considered them to be friends. Few of them however frowned when he didn't finish his sentence. What would hapen if they would turn on him?

Aizen was surprised. Not by his speech, but the speed of his attack. He barely had the time to raise his sword to block him and he almost buckled against the force of the strike.

It was just wrong. Few hours ago, the kid could barely handle Grimmjaw, his Sexta Espada. Sure, he expected him to grow quite rapidly, the boy had amazing growth rate, but this was almost impossible. What infuritated him was the fact, that Ichigo was openly mocking him with his smirk. He gritted his teeth.

"What gives Aizen? That's all you got? You don't seem that strong now." He suddenly bend himself and kicked Aizen in the stomach,, sending him flying through the stone wall. He sent a wordless Getsuga after that.

Aizen managed to get up, but he was holding his stomach. He wiped the blood from his mouth.

'Damn, his kick felt like getting shot with a sword.'

He touched his shoulder, where Ichigo's Getsuga hit him and felt residual reiatsu from the attack.

"I will repeat myself, your reiatsu is well developed, even beyond my expectations, but still, just as planned."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo had a dreadful feeling that Aizen was going to drop something heavy on him.

"You encountered Kuchiki Rukia, and through your fight with Ishida Uryuu, you became aware of your power as a shinigami. Then, in your fight with Abarai Renji, you learned the power of your own Zanpaktou. You gained a foothold towards bankai in your battle with Zaraki Kenpachi and you advanced down the path to hollowification during your confrontation with Kuchiki Byakuya. In your battle with Grimmjow, you mastered hollowification and it seems that, during your battle with Ulquiorra you gained a power greater than that. Kurosaki Ichigo, all your battles thus far have played out in the palm of my hand." Aizen watched as Ichigo has gone silent.

"Didn't you find it strange? The fact that, in all your life, you had never so much as seen a hollow and then you encounter Kuchiki Rukia and are immediately attacked by one. Or the fact, that the bait the Quincy use in the extermination of rank-and-file hollows caused a Menos Grande to appear? Or the fact that, around the time you started becoming accustomed to fighting as a shinigami, Kucihiki Rukia, whose reiatsu wasn't even locateable, was conveniently discovered and deported to Soul Society. Abarai Renji, Zaraki Kenpachi, Kuchiki Byakuya. The fact that you fought with each of them when your power was only slightly rivalling theirs moments before the actual clash? Did you not once find any of it to be strange? Did you think that your encounters were fate? Did you think those attacks were mere coincidences? Did you think that your victories were a result of your efforts? Who do you think that sent Kuchiki Rukia on a tour of duty to the Human World? Who was it that added the ability to detect reiatsu to Abarai Renji's equipment? Who was it that added information concerning the directions of your progress to the report the vice-captains received? And do you think that I was really unable to ascertain the location of the Hougyoku in the more than 100 years since its completion?"

Ichigo was starting to sweat. He was right, what he was hearing wasn't pleasant.

**'Don't let him mess with your head Kingy. He's just afraid we are kicking his ass to his trying to mind-fuck you.'** Shirosaki said to him.

**'I have to agree with Shirosaki. It doesn't matter how you got where you are right now. The only thing that matters is tha fact, that thanks to all of your encounters you got stronger. Aizen may have been the one to bend the fate, but even he didn't think we would get so far in such a short time. Do not listen to him. It will only confuse you.' ** Zangetsu added in his deep voice.

"You don't believe me do you? I was watching you for a long time. Since the time you were born actually. You were special from the moment you were born, after all you are the offspring of-mmph!" Ichigo didn't let him finish and flashed to him and kicked him into the ground.

"Enough. All you do is spurt nonesense. Do you really think that your mindtricks will work on me? It doesn't matter if what you're saying is true. I don't need to hear that you were playing a pedophile on me, watching me since I was born. I'm not stupid. I know that I'm not normal. Never once I heard have I heard about someone who was still alive but was able to be a shinigami. Not to mention having a naturally born hollow inside of him. Of course I knew it was strange. From what I heard, the moment I started to hollowify during Urahara-san's training, I should't have been able to stop it. So you can save yourself the trouble and stop talking. Nothing you'll say will make me change my mind." Ichigo stared at him and completely forgot about keeping the information about his inner hollow a secret but he didn't care anymore. It was bound to get revealed and he had to stop Aizen from trying to mind-fuck him.

Aizen was getting up from the ground, profusely bleeding from his wounds.

He gritted his teeth when he suddenly felt a warm feeling within him and he smirked.

"Very well,... oh, it would seem that my limit has finally come...as a shinigami, that is. Behold Kurosaki Ichigo, my sould will undergo a metamorphosis. It seems as though the Hogyoku's will has finally begun to understand my mind."

"You're talking nonesense again Aizen and I'm getting tired of your shit."

"Oh, but you really should listen. Do you know what Hougyoku's true power is? Why I sent Kuchiki Rukia to you so that it's power could awaken? I'll tell you one thing, Urahara Kisuke thought that Hougyoku was a tool to erase the boundary between shinigami and hollow. He was wrong, otherwise Hirako Shinji and others should not have become complete 'Vaizards'. Their hollowification was my experiment to determine its power...then I, armed with a hypothesis about the Hougyoku's abilities, sent Kuchiki Rukia in your direction. Hougyoku can manifest what's in the minds of those around it, but its not without limit. It will not happen unless the subject possesses the power to fulfill their desire."

"Blah blah blah, all I hear is nonsense after nonesense. Why don't you talk about it with someone who actually cares?" Ichigo replied but was mentally taking notes. What Aizen said could actually prove usefull.

"Don't worry, I was just finishing up." Aizen smirked as his injuries rapidly healed and from his chest, where Ichigo suddenly saw a purple orb, erupted a weird white substance that covered Aizen's whole body. After a few moments Aizen emerged looking like he was in a cocoon.

Ichigo frowned as he felt Aizen's reiatsu bacoming heavier.

'Well, shit just got serious.'

"What has he done to himself?" Ukitake gasped loudll in shock when he saw Aizen in his new form.

"Well he definately got ugly." Kyoraku replied smugly.

"Shunsui! This is not the time for being laid-back." Ukitake scolded him.

"This is not the time for you to even move." Came a threatening voice of Unohana. Both men looked at each other and gulped.

"R-right. Do you think you can get us up so we can help Ichigo, Retsu?" Kyoraku asked nervously.

Unohana gave him her sweetest (and most creepy) smile.

"I don't think that Kurosaki-san requires any help Shunsui."

"But we're talking about Aizen!" Ukitake protested making Unohana turn to him.

"Yes, but I assume that you are in the same position as me in this moment ... since his transformation I can no longer feel Aizen's reiatsu and I must admit, it makes me nervous. Or can you feel it?"

Both men shook their heads.

"No and it's crepy. I can see him, I can hear him, but I cannot sense him... it's weird. I wonder what happened to him..." Kyoraku said.

"Yes... it is weird. But did you notice Kurosaki-san? He doesn't seem to look troubled...I suspect that he is still able to feel Aizen. I don't know how is that possible. Maybe it's because he has more reiatsu than any of us but I'm not so sure..." Unohana pondered aloud.

Ukitake looked at her in disbelief.

"What are you saying? I know that Kurosaki-san always had more reiatsu than an average shinigami. It felt more like reiatsu of Captain, but what you're saying is impossible. I would understand if he had more reiatsu than me, but you two? No." He shook his head again.

"That was true when he first invaded Soul Society Jushiro. His reiatsu was still developing but he still managed to defeat Lieutenant Abarai and day after that even Captain Zaraki. Remember, during his invasion he unlocked his Bankai, and that was only after two days worth of training. He stopped Sokyoku with his Zanpaktou. The boy seems to have done the impossible many times already. And while he was fighting in Hueco Mundo something happened to him. I don't know what, but as you probably saw, his appearance changed and during our travel here I was trying to find out just how much reiatsu he has...it seems indeed impossible but I think he may posses the reiatsu capable of equalling Captain Commander." Unohana finished in one breath.

Ukitake and Kyoraku looked at her with wide eyes.

"But that's impossible! He is not even 17! No one can have the amount of reiatsu as the old man has. And surely not one so young. You must be mistaken Retsu." Kyoraku stuttered and Ukitake just silently nodded in approval. A flash went through Unohana's eyes, making them flinch.

"Oh? I must be mistaken? Just wait long enough and I think you'll see that I am indeed right."

"So Aizen...care to explain what the hell happened to you? You're creeping me out with that outfit." Ichigo asked, swearing silently. He berated himself for allowing something like this to happen.

'I should have beaten him to the ground quickly. I'm not sure what just happened, but my gut is telling me he just became a bigger pain in the ass.'

"Ah Kurosaki, but I already told you. Hogyoku understood my will...or should I say it differently? Well, since it possesses a will of his own, you can say I subjugated it. Now I'm on a road to be the greatest. I will transcend both shinigami and hollows. Let me show you Kurosaki, just what I mean." He flash-stepped to Ichigo trying to cut him.

'Shit he's fast.' He managed to block him with Zangetsu but was pushed a little.

'Damn, he's even stronger.'

Aizen frowned.

"I see, so you are still able to fight me. How interesting. It seems I underestimated you a bit Kurosaki Ichigo. No matter, it's only a slight dent in my perfect plan."

He suddenly stopped pushign and instead kicked with his leg, forcing Ichigo to jump away. He came at him again trying to catch him off-guard.

'No wonder he was a Captain, this guy may be a freaking genius at tactics but he's also good with his zanpaktou. I have to thank heavens that his style is quite predictible. If he wasn't , with his speed he probably could have caught me.'

Ichigo blocked, parred or dodged an attack after an attack. When Aizen brought his sword at him especially harshly, ichigo swiftly avoided him by stepping back a few steps and quickly raising Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho." He muttered as abright blue light emerged from Zangetsu, surprising Aizen and striknig him almost at point-blank range.

As Aizen became clouded in dust ichigo quickly wiped a little sweat that formed on his forehead. He wasn't exactly tired, but he became nervous as Aizen came a little too close to hitting him. Not even five seconds passed when Aizen emerged from the cloud of dust. He had a small hole on his head and a weird blood-like substance came out of it.

"What the hell is this? What's going on with him?" Ichigo said in shock when he gazed inside the hole and saw nothing but black darkness.

"That was a good slash...I understood that attack. But I feel that this isn't suff-" He was walking towards Ichigo when his mask started to break. Ichigo stepped back.

It felt like Aizen's reiatsu was getting even heavier. 'Shit, it seems I can no longer fight him like this. Zangetsu, what is going on here?'

**'It seems that the Hogyoku is forcing him to undergo some sort of transformations. It's somehow making him stronger. Probably step by step he's coming close to something greater. I fear that if this can go on, there will be a time when even your greatest power won't be enough to stop him. Or...his soul will come across its limit. It can go both ways Ichigo.' **Zangetsu replied.

He was glad that Ichigo was taking his promise of talking to him more a little bit serious.

'Yeah, I may feel confident, but I am not really sure his limit will come sooner than mine.'

**'We'll see won't we?'**

'Smartass.'

Just as he finished his talk Aizen's mask chattered and revealed Aizen with long hair and dark purple eyes with a smirk on his face.

"Ah, it would seem that the chrysalis period has ended. Fabulous, now I can watch with my own eyes your demise. Kurosaki Ichigo, I think this is your end."

Ichigo tilted his head.

"End? I think not."

"BAN-KAI!" He yelled and a great surge of reiatsu engulfed him

"Now, where were we?"

* * *

"Oh my god!" Unohana almost squealled when the force of Ichigo's reiatsu hit her. She was forced to bend a little under the pressure and she was breathing faster, with her cheeks coloured in pink.

Kyoraku and Ukitake, still injured, were too feeling the pressure that remainded them of their short fight with Captain Commander shortly before Aizen betrayal. Their jaws dropped in realization that Unohana maybe wasn't as wrong in her estimation as they thought she was.

When they noticed her pink cheeks and rapid breathing they realized what it meant and could think of only one thing.

'Poor Kurosaki-san/Ichigo, now he'll be her prey.'

Not so far Captain Sui-Feng was having troubles under the pressure of Ichigo's reiatsu. Unohana gave her first medical attention, but it was only enough to stop the bleedings. She couldn't fight at the moment anymore.

She was pissed at first, but when Aizen emerged in a cocoon and she realized she couldn't feel his reiatsu anymore she felt a little scared. But now, when his cocoon shattered and Ichigo released his bankai, she felt she would be useless.

'This isn't a fight where I could be of any use anymore. This boy ... how could he have gained so much power? It seems that Yoruichi-sama may have been right at becoming his teacher. Maybe if we survive this I should make up with him.' She heard Suzumebachi, her zanpaktou spirit, giggle and after that her short comment.

Her cheeks burned.

'I DIDN'T MEAN MAKING UP LIKE THAT YOU STUPID BUG!"

Yamamoto Genryusai, the Captain Commander of Gotei 13 couldn't believe what he was feling.

When Aizen came out in that white mask, he got worried. Aizen's reiatsu became thicker and almost unreadable. He didn't thnik that there was anyone who could face him other then himself. But Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't even slightly fazed.

When Aizen emerged for the second time, even he couldn't feel his reiatsu anymore and he desperately looked at the boy. He became more worried when he noticed the boy frown. But the the boy released his bankai and Commander's eyes bot wide.

The amount of boy's was bigger than even he could release in his shikai. This feat alone was something only his students, the senior Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake or Unohana came close to. Maybe even Zaraki Kenpachi but one couldn't be sure of that man's actual reiatsu. But this boy already surpassed them and he has been a shinigami for only a few months.

Yamamoto saw a big potential for Gotei 13 but also a threat. He often boasted that no shinigami stronger than him was born in one thousand years. Now, this fact was starting to crumble.

He was however sceptical about the boy. Kurosaki Ichigo was still a rash and naive boy. But, with a proper guidance he would could have been molded into a proper part of Gotei 13.

He was still desperate to join the fight but Unohana told him frimly that he would be out of combat state for at least a few days.

'Bollocks. I am too old for this shit.'

* * *

Aizen just stared at the person in front of him. Kurosaki Ichigo in his bankai didn't look that different than before, maybe aside from the red lines that went along his bankai clothes and a faint red glow that surrounded his zanpaktou. He was expecting anything.

But he certainly didn't predict the amount of reiatsu the boy would posses. He was aware that he still wasn't a transcedent being, but still, to be able to surprise him with reiatsu was riddiculous. Something really big must have happened in Hueco Mundo.

'I'll find out later, when I'm done with him and my bussiness.'

"What's the matter 'Aizen-sama'. Can't keep up?" Ichigo jabbed at him cheekily.

Aizen frowned once again. The boy's new attitude was getting on his nerves.

"Not at all Kurosaki Ichigo. I think I can manage. Can you?" He flashed to him and swung his blade at Ichigo, expecting him to buckle under the pressure of his strike. Once again he was surprised when Ichigo blocked his sword. He pushed him a little, but his sword never wavered.

"I can too, thanks for asking."

He released his own barrage of strikes and thrusts. He jabbed, slashed, stabbed. He even attempted to punch Aizen but the former Captain of 5th Division held his ground, albeit with drops of sweat forming above his eyebrows. Ichigo started to sweat again himself. They parted after Aizen blocked another one of Ichigo's vicious attacks.

"It seems we are almost equal Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen commented nonchalantly.

"True, if you can do better we'd be equal." Ichigo smirked.

"Amusing." Aizen said but Ichigo could see frustration in man's eyes. He prepared to blok another attack when ho noticed someone coming at him from behind.

He side-stepped the sword that would otherwise probably cut off his hand.

"Ah, Gin. I wondered where you went." Was the greeting Ichigo heard.

"Sorry cap'n, I was taking care of Matsumoto, she wanted to talk about something." Gin Ichimaru, the former Captain of 3rd Division replied.

'He's the last thing I need right now. This guy gives me creeps.'

**'Be wary of that man Ichigo. I can't read his intentions. Don't let your guard down.'** Ichigo heard Tensa Zangetsu's young voice.

'Yeah, thanks.'

"And what did you do with her, Gin?"

Gin shrugged.

"Killed her." Making Aizen to look at him suspiciously and then to concentrate for a second.

"Indeed, her reiatsu vanished. I am surprised however Gin. I thought you held some feelings for her? Aren't you the cruel one?"

"I ain't nothing like that. I already told you. My skin is cold, I ain't got no feelings. I'm a snake. I slither around, looking for prey. And when I find one, I swallow it whole. That's the creature I am." He replied wihtout hesitation. Aizen nodded.

Just then Gin moved in front of Aizen.

"Here, let me take care of him for you. You just stand there and do nothing." Gin slowly said while lightly touching Aizen's blade.

Ichigo readied himself, prepared for anything.

Gin then gave him amost nonexistent wink and raised his left arm.

Ichigo was expecting the same attack when their first met.

But then, the unthinkable happened. Instead of pointing his blade at Ihcigo, he poitned it backwards. He shooted with his sword, piercing a shocked Aizen. Ichigo just stared at him in surprise.

"You once told me, after a few long decades, that the only way to escape the effects of your Kyouka Suigetsu, is to touch it. No one knew that, so when they thought that they can defeat you...I got nervous. Because I knew I was the only one who can do that." And he retracted his sword from Aizen, who staggered a little.

"I knew...I knew your objective when I brought you along...I wanted to see, how you'll do it, but I'm dissapointed Gin. Do you really think that this is enough to kill me?" He smirked, despite the bleeding injury.

"No, but I lied to you when I explained the abilities of my bankai to you. Look at my blade." He pointed to his Zanpaktou which now held a small hole. He pointed at the wound he gave Aizen.

"I left that piece in you."

"What?" Aizen asked in shock.

"The true abilities of my bankai...all it does is to turn into dust for a second when it expands and contracts and ...there's a deadly poison inside the blade that dissolves and breaks down the cells... Looks like you figured it out. Yes, that poison is inside you and you will die with a hole in you. So if you want to say something, do it now...you fucking bastard!" Gin said with hatred.

Aizen just stared at him in disebelief. Gin raised his hand and pointed at him.

"Kill, Kamishini no Yari."

"Gin...ugh...you...bastard."

Ichigo watched in shock as a huge hole slowly formed in Aizen's chest, slowly disintegrating his flesh. Gin looked at Aizen with satisfaction.

"This is as I always wanted you to end, Aizen. Now I'll take what I want." He reached inside the hole and took out the Hogyoku.

He turned around to the still shocked Ichigo.

"Now I can finally make it so you'll never cry again Rangiku." He said softly.

Ichigo's brain froze from the information overload, and not just his. Not only Gin, Aizen's most trusted subordinate turned on Aizen, he just displayed an emotion...towards Rangiku-san! He then noticed that as Aizen was falling down, he swung his blade and he reacted on instinct.

"Look out!" He yelled at Gin, who turned his head and instantly flashed aways, escaping with only a slight gash on his arm.

"Thanks." He nodded at Ichigo gratefully.

"But I thought you just said you killed Rangiku-san!" Ichigo managed to blurt out.

Gin grinned at him wickedly.

"I only told him what he wanted to hear. Don't worry, I've put he in a special sleep where her reiatsu becomes untraceable. I could never hurt her."

Ichigo tilted his head.

"You love her?" He asked simply.

"Yeah, she's the big'ol sis I never had. But don't tell her that, she would just beat me for saying old."

Ichigo chuckled. He could see her doing that.

But just then they both heard Aizen screaming and they turned to him with dread.

* * *

Both of Yamamoto's eyes were bulging out of their sockets when he saw actions of his former subordinate Ichimaru Gin.

'Foolish boy, for a simple revenge sacrificing almost whole Soul Society! What was he thinking?!'

Commander was a wise old man. He knew, that if the circumstances were grave enough he could maybe justify his actions. He was sure however, that the Central 46 will probably call for his execution.

He frowned. After Aizen's betrayal, his belief in Central 46 was shaken.

He decided. If he could he would try to save Ichimaru Gin. Maybe he was being foolish, but the boy had grat potential and if he truly was against Aizen, maybe he would lose only two Captains this day.

His thoughts were interrupted by Aizen's screams.

* * *

Ichigo was feeling rather nervous.

He saw as Aizen transformed again. It wasn't his look that made him nervous (as a matter of fact it almost made him laugh). What got him swearing was the reiatsu he felt from Aizen.

It was so heavy, it was almost suffocating him and making him sweat a lot.

'If this goes on for any longer, I'll be in big trouble. His reiatsu is becoming hard to read.'

Aizen finally stood up and looked at himself, then smirked.

"I must thank you Gin, thanks to you I finally became a being that transcends both shinigami and hollows."

"Damn it. He should be dead. I already took the Hogyoku from him." Gin swore loudly.

"That was an unnecessary action Gin. I already subjugated it and it belongs to me, even when it's not in me." Aizen replied smugly and pointed at the orb in Gin's hand.

It started to glow and slowly disappeared.

Ichigo was watching the scene carefully, when sudenly Aizen somehow dissolved. He felt him just a millisecond before he tried to slash Gin. He flashed as fast as he could to him and tried to block his sword.

"What the-?" It caught Gin by surprise. He wasn't fast enough and didn't notice Aizen's sword in front of his face.

He was startled when Ichigo appeared in front of him, trying to block Aizen from cutting him in half. He parried Kyouka Suigetsu, but the force behind the strike sent him flying through the nearby building.

"Oof!" Was the only sound Ichigo made just before he was blown away.

Aizen smirked and looked at Gin.

"You should thank Kurosaki, Gin. If it weren't for him, you would be now in two pieces. Now, it's just the two of us. I think we can take our time."

Gin's mind was in overdrive. Firstly, he never thought the boy would try to save him. It was now the second time he dif it. Secondly, he couldn't even blink before Aizen's and Ichigo's swords met. They were too fast.

'I'm sorry Rangiku, it seems I can't do it after all.'

He readied himself for the inevitable, when he and Aizen both jerked their heads towards someone laughing.

"Oh, that was funny Aizen. It almost sounded like you thought I was dead." Ichigo came from the rubble, supporting himself on the wall. He was bleeding and winded, but he certainly wasn't dead.

Aizen squinted his eyes.

"You are quite resilient Kurosaki ichigo, but I won't correct myself, as you'll be dead soon enough. You helped me to achieve transcendency too so your death will be quick, however not totally painless."

Ichigo tilted his head again.

"We'll see about that."

'Damn him, he almost broke my arms with the last attack.'

**'Use the force Ichigo.'** He heard Tensa Zangetsu speaking.

'Huh? What?' Tensa Zangetsu sen him image of him facepalming.

**'Ichigo...after this you should relax and enjoy life. Every kid would understood that reference. But no time for that. It seems we don't have any other choice. You must use ... it.'**

Ichigo frowned.

'Do you think it's a good idead. What will the old man say?'

**'Don't be a wuss Kingy. You really have no other choice. Or do you want to get you ass kicked again?' **Shirosaki jabbed at him cheekily.

'Bastard, Fine.' Ichigo closed his mind link and gathered his reiatsu.

Aizen was watching him with mild amusement.

"I'm sorry Aizen, but you are forgetting one simple fact. You said it yourself, I'm not a normal shinigami. This will be your end."

**"Doom them, Lucifer."** He whispered menacingly.

There was a great explosion of somke that surrounded him.

* * *

"What in the hell is this?!" Everyone still conscious screamed.

A great crimson red gleam was radiating from the smoke.

After a moment, a massive surge of reiatsu exploded in every directoion, catching everybody in the area with its overwhelming pressure.

Who wasn't forced down before, now was. Most were laying on the ground. They were weakened from the battle and the pressure was so great it made them almost unable to move.

Even Unohana was supporting herself, trying to control her breathing.

Captain Commander was shocked, this reiatsu was maybe even stronger that what he could produce at maximal output...it was unheard of.

Sui-Feng felt it only for a few moments before promptly fainting. Her injuries mixed with the extreme spiritual pressure proved too much for her.

"Gin had to sit down and tried to calm himself. The reiatsu felt almost like...

'Like hell.' He whispered.

Aizen was looking at Ichigo in shock. Even he felt the pressure. It wasn't restricting his movements, but it was still incredible.

Just then the smoke cleared and most of the people present wanted to scream like little girls.

Before them stood Kurosaki Ichigo, but he was transformed. And he was terrifying.

His shihakusho was torn, leaving him topless, showing his torso covered with a tatoo. On his wrists was orange fur, the same thing around his neck. But was was installing fear was his head.

There was a mask on it. It was so terrifying that even Aizen moved back a little. It looked like a sneering skull. Two eyes glowing red were staring at himfrom the two holes in it. The whole demonic visage was completed with two horns protruding from the top.. They were bended in the middle and pointing upwards. His orange hair was longer, ending almost at his waist. A long and strong black tail was visible from his behind. Even his zanpaktou changed. It had now red outline on its edge and from its end was hanging about a half meter long chain.

**"No smart comment Aizen?"** Even his voice was different and sounded demonic.

Aizen made another step back.

"Wha-what is this Kurosaki ichigo? Are you really Kurosaki Ichigo?" For the first time in their exchange Aizen didn't sound so confident.

**"Aizen, do I see fear in your eyes?"** Ichigo asked.

Aizen shook with rage.

"Don't be so full of yourself you damn human!" He yelled but then his eyes widened as a huge red beam of energy struck him.

**"Cero."**

**"Do not yell."** Was the only thing Ichigo said after he released his cero.

Coughing, Aizen stood up, covered in burns.

"How can you produce a Cero? What is this Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen spat angrily.

Ichigo lifted his finger.

**"If you are so smart figure it out yourself."** He sneered and that only enlarged Aizen's anger and made him attack again.

This time however Ichigo held his own. Their clash produced a massive air pressure blowing everything , including Gin away.

He struggled to stabilize himself but he was buckling under the overwhelming pressure of Ichigo's reiatsu.

**"Sanke-face, you should go back. This will become rather messy. Go to Unohana-san. She is probably the only one who won't try to kill you for your actions immediately."** Ichigo said with his head slightly turned to Gin. Said person nodded and flashed away.

He landed next to Unohana.

"S'ppose you wanna hear bout why I did it right?" He asked them as he noticed silent faces of Kyoraku and Ukitake, that were lying next to her.

"I'll explain, but later, this air is making it hard to even speak."

They nodded.

"Very impressive Kurosaki Ichigo, but you can't win. I am a transcendent being! You are nothing but a mere human and a bad product of nature! I'll show you the difference between us." He jumped back and started to chant.

"Seeping crest of turbidity, arrogant vessel of lunacy, boil forth and deny, grow numb and flick- oomph!" He was interrupted by a huge energy blast in form of black and red crescent strike.

**"Getsuga Tensho."** Ichigo muttered quietly.

**"You talk too much Aizen."**

"Urgh."

The air cleaned up and it was clear that Aizen didn't escape unharmed. He was deply cut from his shoulder to his waist and bleeding profusely. He was holding his head inhis hands and was gritting his teeth in pain.

**"What do you think now, Aizen?"**

Aizen removed his hand from his face. His arm in which he held his zanpaktou trembled.

"I see...are you happy that you stopped my sword? Are you happy that you wounded my body?" Aizen lifted his head.

"Don't get so full of yourself, you damn human!" He roared.

In that moment the small cut on his head opened and a small black eye showed itself. Blood poured from it and Ichigo watched as it trashed and tore the skin on Aizen's face. Aizen screamed.

He erupted in a splash of blood.

In front of them stood a creature with long hair, deformed face and several artificial heads protruding from its back.

Ichigo looked at him in disgust. What Aizen became was too much for him.

Then he realized in horror that Aizen reiatsu was flickering, practically unreadable.

'Shit. I need to end this. This is probably the last time I can do anything. I just hope it'll be enough.'

"I see, so you won't allow it Hogyoku. For me to lag behind a mere human." Aizen spoke to himself, but loudly enough for Ichigo to hear him.

Ichigo noticed that one of the heads at Aizen's back moved and he saw a small purple orb flying at him.

'Shit.'

In desperation he quickly charged and shot his Cero, trying to deflect the blow.

It worked only partially. He managed to shield the others from the harm, but he got caught in the blast.

The smoke revealed ichigo kneeling with deep gashes and angry burns covering his whole body.

"I see, so you are still alive Kurosaki Ichigo. But this is the end, you can no longer move with that damaged body." Aizen commented in a weird voice.

Ichigo gasped and pushed himself up shaking all over the place.

**"The end? Some shit like this will end me?" **He grinned a little when he noticed his wounds rapidly healing. Ho noticed however that his reiatsu reserves were being depleted. He really needed to end this.

"High-speed regeneration? In the past I would be intrigued, but now...now you are not worth understanding Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo wasn't listening to him as he quickly tried to fromulate some plan.

**'Ichigo, I don't have time to teach you any new technique, but you can use what you already know and fuse it together.'** Tensa Zangetsu proposed a plan to him.

'What do you have in mind?'

**'Pour the cero into my blade together with getsuga. But be carefull, one is the attack of a shinigami while the other one a hollow. I'm not sure it'll work.'**

Ichigo frowned. It was probably his best shot.

'Well here goes nothing.'

When Aizen turned his head to look at the other survivors Ichigo quickly formed his Cero carefully controlling the flow of his reiatsu, pumping aas much of it as he could. After he got to the point of risking it blowing up in his face he grabbed his zanpaktou and poured his reiatsu into it, while keeping the cero formed.

**'Now redirect the energy of the cero onto the blade.'**

'Easier said than done.'

He did it slowly. The red energy of cero slowly travelling through his body into blade, lighting up his zanpaktou like a lamp and making it heavy.

'Here I come.'

He noticed that Aizen wasn't paying him any attention.

He flashed in the air with great speed and moved in fron of Aizen.

**"This is the end Aizen!"** And slashed his sword down.

**"GETSUGA CERO."**

The force of the explosion that followed blew him back quite the distance. He stumbled but managed to stay standing.

His eyes traveled to the place where his attack struck.

It was a mess. There was a huge crater, tens of meters wide and inside was a crawling creature, almost cleaved in half and bleeding profusely. But then white substance, with precision quickly formed around the wound.

**"Damnit, he can still regenerate?" **His legs shook with exhaustion and he stumbled on his knees after he flash-stepped next to Aizen who was slowly standing up.

"Kurosaki Ichigo ... I underestimated you greatly. You surpassed my every expectations." He said with slight tint of anger in his voice. He turned his sight at his crumbling zanpaktou.

"Do you see this? Do you know what it means? It means that the Hogyoku realized that I no longer need zanpaktou. Watch as I'll go even high-" His speech was interrupted when not only his zanpaktou, but everything on him started to crumble, his appearance returning back to what he looked before his transformations.

"Wha-what is this?" He asked scared.

Just then a red flash pierced through him.

Both he and Ichigo turned their heads.

"Urahara Kisuke! Is this your doing?!" Aizen spat at the new person on the battlefield.

"Hello Aizen-san, Kurosaki-san. Yes, I just sent a sealing Kido in you." Urahara Kisuke replied slowly, landing near them.

"This is nothing, your Kido is useless against...no, what's happenning?" Aizen tried to move but he was being engulfed in sealing energy.

Urahara looked at him sadly.

"The only reason I am able to seal you is because of young Kurosaki-san here. He pushed you to your absolute limits and now the Hogyoku is telling you, that it no longer recognize you as its master."

Aizen looked at him in disbelief.

"No no no, that can't be...that can't be...THAT CAN'T BE! Urahara Kisuke! I despise you! You posses such a great intellect. Why do you not act? Why do you let yourself be ruled by that thing?!" He screamed at Urahara.

"I see...so you've seen it...the Soul King. He is the lynchpin that holds everything together, if that lynchpin is lost, that everything would crumble away. That's just the way the world is." Urahara replied quietly.

"That is the theory of losers, the victors should always speak of the way the world should be, not the way it is! I-!" Aizen's screams were stopped as the seal finally did what it was meant to do.

Aizen was sealed.

Ichigo sighed and stood up. He nodded to Urahara and slowly walked away.

The Winter War was finally over.


	2. Chapter 2: The Winter War part 2

**Firstly, I'd like to say thank you all, for your reviews. It makes me really happy to know**

**that someone is actually reading my story and likes it. :)**

**To those who are wondering about the story. I hope I'll continue to write it till the end and assuming I'll get to tell everything I want... it's going to be a loong story. Intervals between releasing of chapters will be hopefully one week. Chapter 2 is sooner because I'm in a very good mood :D. I already have chapter 3 prepared, but it needs spell -checking, and some general checking. I'll post it after I'll have written something from chapter 4.**

**About pairings. It's kind of obvious that this will not be a story about Ichigo with only one woman. On the other hand I'll try to keep as real as I can. ****(in other words, no 5 member harem or something like that.) I have my mind set about two women and I'm thinking about the third that would be probably final.****I appreciate your suggestions and I always try to think about 'how could I get it done with pairing?' but it's not always possible.  
**

**This won't be a drama story. Probably. I am aware that it's hard to keep the story interesting without twists so there are gonna be some, but for now I'm going to  
focus on the calm after the Winter War. (only a few chapters, but you'll be surprised if you'll think that there won't be any fighting.)**

** mugetsudude : For now, Ichigo will have only this much power as he displayed in his fight with Aizen. Don't forget however that he only recently acquired it and needs to train a little bit, plus he gave a promise to Zangetsu about training with him too. Eventually ... I may have him merge with Zangetsu, but even if I'll do that it would be near the end or he would be nerfed, because I feel he was waaay overpowered. (it was however badass :) ).  
Will there be more enemies? Of course. Who will it be... you'll see :D.  
Length of the chapters ... they aren't going to be as long as the first one, it served as a prologue and it couldn't be cut to two. But the chapters will be 5k+ for sure. I will never post a chapter shorter than that.**

**That's all for now and I'll let you read the chapter itself. I hope I'll keep you interested.**

**Chapter 2: Winter War (part II – Affection of Masks)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

Ichigo sighed and looked around. The whole battlefield was just a big mess of rubble.

It was a good thing he overheard Kenpachi and Byakuya mentioning, that this was just a copy of Karakura Town created by 12th Division. He didn't want to think just how many lives would have been lost if it wasn't the truth.

He slowly walked to the area where the survivors were. As he got closer, he noticed that they unconsciously moved back a little bit.

**"Hey, it's really me, no need to be scared."**

"Foolish boy, it's not the fear. It's hard to be next to you when you're emitting so much reiatsu." Yamamoto grunted from the ground.

**"Oh, sorry about that."** He hastily withdrew some of the pressure, so they could move freely. He wanted to drop his Ressurreción too, but small movement caught his eyes and he went there to inspect it first.

He blushed a little when he got close. Inside a small hole was lying a beautifull Arrancar, whom he recognized as Tercera Espada. She was trying to get up, and that was what caused Ichigo to blush.

Her Ressurreción made her clothes almost nonexistent, showing her brown skin.

'She's an Arrancar, but she's beautiful.' Ichigo admitted.

**'Who are you and what have you done with King?'** Shirosaki asked him.

'Huh, what do you mean?'

**'I mean, you never thought about girls like that. I was beginning to worry that you were gay. Thank god for that.'** Shirosaki sighed in relief.

'What? Of course I'm not gay. I'm just a gentleman and I don't oggle every woman I see!' Ichigo protested scandalized and rubbed his temples.

'What now. I can't just kill her. She's injured and she's no threat to anyone.'

**'Oh oh, I know! Can we keep her? I could show her my 'sword'... with pleasure.' **Shirosaki said quickly, making Ichigo blush.

'Horny bastard.'

He kneeled next to her.

**"Can you stand?"** He tried to ask softly, but his demonic voice made her flinch when she noticed him.

"Go on, kill me. I don't expect nothing else." She said quietly.

Ichigo frowned.

**"I'm not going to kill you. You are injured and no threat to me. The war is over and if you don't plan on taking revenge then I have no reason to harm you. Or are you going to avenge other Espada, or Aizen?"**

She looked up at him confused.

"No. I only served Aizen because I owed him for saving my life and lives of my Fracción. I want to avenge my Fracción, but even I understand that I wouldn't be able to kill that old man."

Ichigo thought about it when he heard Shirosaki whispering to him.

**"How about I'll open a Garganta for you and take you to Hueco Mundo? Some place where you can tend to your injuries?" **He asked her after a moment of silence.

Her eyes widened but then she nodded in the direction of the Captains of Gotei 13. Ichigo understood instantly.

**"Give me a second. Meanwhile, don't try to run away. I am perfectly capable of catching you. Okay?"** She nodded.

Ichigo turned around and flashed to the Captain Commander who was lying with his eyes closed.

**"Old man, I found a surviving member of Espada. Everyone else is probably dead. I'm planning on moving her to Hueco Mundo, where she's going to stay."** Yamamoto immediately opened his eyes.

"Why didn't you finish her off, boy? She's an enemy of Soul Society and giving her time to recuperate is only giving her a chance to attack Soul Society."

Ichigo looked him in the eyes and shook his head.

**"She won't. She wasn't fighting because she was loyal to Aizen. She only wanted to repay him for saving her. Now she has no ill will towards Soul Society. Not to mention that she seems quite intelligent and understands that attacking Soul Society would be a suicide."**

"So I should just take your word for it? I may be old but I'm not senile Kurosaki Ichigo. I should just go and kill her myself." Yamamoto replied.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

**"Why are you so intent on killing her? Is it just because she was your enemy or is it because she's a hollow? Do you want me to kill a defensless woman just becauase she was unfortunate and ended up a hollow? I can assure you, she's just like you or me or anyone else here. Maybe she's even better than some of us, because she actually cares for her friends. Are you going to be that kind of coward that wants to kill his enemies when they are at their lowest? Or are you that kind of coward that would kill a defensless woman?" ** He hissed at him.

A small drop of sweat formed on Commanders brow from the reiatsu that Ichigo was unconsciously releasing at him in anger. Truthfully, he was feeling rather generous and didn't really want to kill her, but he wanted to test the boy if he would stand for his opinion or if he would crumble under his pressure as many did before.

'Well, I should have known what he would do.'

Kyoraku, Ukitake and Unohana were watching Ichigo with sad (and in Unohana's case a little dreamy) eyes. They knew the Commander for several hundreds of years and knew about his stubborness.

So they were extremely surprised when they heard his reply.

"Do as you like. But she will be your responsibility. If she'll decide she wants to take revenge, it will be on your head." Yamamoto sighed and Ichigo looked at him incredulously. He didn't expect him to agree.

Yamamoto waved with his remaining hand.

"Go boy, before I'll change my mind." Ichigo instantly rushed away.

He quickly noticed that Harribel wasn't at the same place. She was crawling to some small crater. He took pity on her and latched her onto his shoulder for support.

**"You know, I told you not to move. Even if you have hollow powers, it's not like your high-speed regeneration can work without reiatsu."**

She looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect him to help her.

"My Fracción...I think...I felt ... their reiatsu...they are just ... a little ahead...won't leave wihtout them." She gasped through gritted teeth as she tried to walk.

**"Stubborn woman." **Ichigo muttered while he supported her. Inside he was struggling with her answer. It looked like she cared for her Fracción a great deal, what wasn't very common for hollows.

'I guess I was right telling yama-jii that she cared for her friends.'

They slowly made it to the crater where they found three Arrancars. Ichigo quickly noticed that they were breathing and had some reiatsu, but they were barely alive.

He turned to her.

**"I assume you...erm...what is your name?"**

"Harribel...Tier Harribel."

**"Right, Harribel-san. You want to take them with us but they won't make it in their state. They are barely alive as it is. Is there some way we can stabilize them?"**

She frowned as he put her on the ground, next to them.

"If I could just ... pour some of my reiatsu into them. Maybe I could jumpstart their high-speed regeneration."

She tried to touch the hand of the first member of her Fracción, but Ichigo caught her hand.

**"Does it have to be you, or can any hollow do it?" **Harribel quickly shook her head.

"No, it doesn't have to be me, but there is noone else. Besided nobody in Hueco Mundo would sacrifice their reiatsu to save someone else."

Ichigo frowned and formed his word slowly.

**"As you can see... I posses hollow reiatsu in me, do you... do you think I could do it instead of you? I mean, you too have almost no reiatsu."**

She looked at him in shock.

"You...you would do that for them?" She asked him astonished. Ichigo tilted his head.

**"Sure, no problem. I have enough reiatsu."**

She shook her head.

"In Hueco Mundo it's unthinkable that two hollows would share their energy as they are always hungry. It's not true for us Arrancars, but still. It's not something one would do just like that...you...are a weird shinigami. You clearly have hollow powers but you have zanpaktou and a shinigami attire. What exactly are you Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ichigo just scratched his head.

**"Beats me...wait, how do you know my name?"**

"I saw you when you were fighting with Grimmjaw and Aizen mentioned your name quite often." She admitted.

**"Freaking stalker."** Ichigo muttered darkly.

**"Well, with your permission I think I should get to it. They need help badly." ** He got up and kneeled next to the first one. She had long green hair and three red dots on her cheek.

'Here goes nothing.' He put his hand on her head and concentrated on his hollow reiatsu. He carefully let the energy flow, reducing the output as he was sure that he could accidentally kill her if he let too much.

Ichigo glowed red for a little bit and then the glow seemed to travel along his body to his hand and after that it was absorbed by the Arrancar. He heard her gasp and so he moved back a little.

Sung-sun opened her eyes with her whole body hurting like hell. She noticed howeve,r that she was slowly healing and that somehow her reiatsu reserves were being increased. She raised herself to a sitting position when she noticed Harribel.

"Harribel-sama, what happened, what ...kyaaa!" She yelped when she saw Ichigo sitting next to her. Her hand instantly traveled to her non-existent sword.

"Calm down Sung-sun. He's not an enemy. In fact he's the one that supplied you with reiatsu, therefore healed you. Aizen was beaten. Everyone else is dead." Harribel stopped her.

"Ah...what do you mean? Who beat him? He...healed me?" She looked at Ichigo who just sat there looking amused, in disbelief.

**"Yes. I did."** His demonic voice must have scared her as she jerked herself in fear. Ichigo chuckled.

**"Don't worry, I may look like this but I'm completely harmless. As to who beat Aizen... that would also be me." **After he said that, Harribel looked at him with wide eyes. She didn't know that.

Sung-sun just shrank a little bit. If the one in front of her was strong enough to beat Aizen, she really didn't want to anger him.

**"I'm sorry about my appearance, but really, you don't have to fear me. I'm just keeping this visage, because it allows me to use some of my abilities easier." **He tried to soothe her and watched as she calmed down a little bit.

**"Now that I said that...why don't I heal you a little bit too Harribel?"** She turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"Fine. Do it." He shifted himself so that he was in front of her and put his hand at her head. Sung-sun looked like she wanted to protest but Harribel raised her hand.

"Don't worry, he did the same thing with you." Sung-sun's cheek colored a little bit as she looked at Ichigo and covered her mouth with her hand.

**"Hold steady. It should only take a few moments."**

Again he slowly poured his reiatsu, this time allowing a little bit more to flow since she was an Espada and he was aware that she needed a little bit more.

When he finished, he took his hand down and noticed that Harribel's breathing was heavier.

**"You okay?"**

"Mhm." She replied with closed eyes.

'Wow. I'm glad that my skin is so dark. His reiatsu is so strong it made me flush...hmm, I wouldn't mind letting him do this more...wait, what?!' She shook her head in surprise.

Ichigo just sighed and went to the remaining two. To make things faster he put his right hand on the taller one with dark skin, long curly black hair and his left hand on the smaller one that had short blue hair and red outline around her left eye. He concentrated on his reiatsu, while Sung-sun told him that the first one was called Mila Rose and the second one was Emilou Apacci. Once again he poured his reiatsu into them. After a few second he finished and moved back.

They woke up with a start and both groaned. When they noticed Ichigo they widened their eyes in alarm and quickly jumped at him.

**"Oi! Calm down you two, I'm not here to harm you."** He raised his hands as they tried to pound on him. Unfortunately for them, after he merged with Shirosaki, Ichigo gained his own hierro strong enough to make them cradle their hands and glare at him.

"Girls, calm down. You are not completely healed yet. And it's not nice to try to kill the one who saved your lives." Harribel commented. They jumped in surprise at the sound of her voice as they didn't notice her.

They looked at her while glancing back at Ichigo.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" They yelled simultaneously.

"He is Kurosaki Ichigo, the one we saw fighting Grimmjow. He is also the one who beat Aizen and healed you, Sung-sun and me. On top of that he's going to take us to Hueco Mundo so that we won't get killed by Gotei 13."

Mila Rose and Appaci looked at each other and started to laugh.

"I don't quite understand what is so funny." Sung-sun said in wonder.

"He beat Aizen and healed us? He barely defeated Grimmjow earlier today. That's what's funny." Apacci said between her laughs.

Ichigo's smile dropped a little bit in irritation.

**"Well then I guess I could show you how wrong you are huh?" ** He said irritated and raleased his reiatsu for a moment.

They all, including Harribel gasped. They were crushed by the force of his reiatsu. He withdrew it after a few seconds and watched as they scrambled back from the ground.

'Incredible.' Harribel thought. The sheer raw power of the reiatsu managed to scare her. By the looks on he faces of her Fracción, they didn't handle it better. They were completely terrified and backed from him a little.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed his temples. Since he merged with Shirosaki, his emotions were showing more easily.

**"Look, I'm not trying to scare you. I think Dickzen did it enough times but I need you to understand the situation. I managed to convince the Commander that I would take to Hueco Mundo Harribel only. If he'll see that I'm taking you too, things might get ugly."**

Despite the situation Apacci and Mila Rose choked a little when they heard his nickname for Aizen.

"So you'll really take us to Hueco Mundo? It wasn't a lie?" Sung-sun hesitantly asked from the ground.

**"Yeah, give me a sec- wait, what's that?"** Ichigo raised his eyebrows when he noticed a small glow from nearby crater.

"That's the reiatsu of ... " Mila Rose frowned.

"Lilynette?" Appaci finished for her.

Ichigo looked at them clueless. Sung-sun explained it to him.

"It's a little bit hard to explain but she's a ... partner of the Primera, Starrk. But I can't feel his reiatsu anywhere."

"Aizen killed him after he tried to dispose of me." Harribel said sadly and saw her Fracción gasp and swear loudly.

**"Be right back."** Ichigo flash-stepped to the crater and widened his eyes in surprise.

In the crater was a small girly figure with a helmet like mask on her head, short green hair and a white that covered only her back and her breasts. She wasn't moving but Ichigo saw no injuries.

He slowly walked to her, trying to feel if there was anything wrong with her reiatsu. Finding out only that she was low on reiatsu, he kneeled and picked her up bridal style and flashed to Harribel and her Fracción.

"What's wrong with her?" Apacci asked.

**"I'm not sure. She's low on reiatsu but that's the only thing I could determine. For now I'll give her some of mine and if she won't wake up I'll carry her with us."**

The Fracción raised their eyebrows in wonder. Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated again. He poured a little bit of his reiatsu, enough to fill half of her reserves and waited for a moment.

Lilynette's skin only coloured a little, but other than that she remained asleep.

"Did anyone tell you that you are really weird for a shinigami? You should have been trying to kill us and here you are doing the exact opposite." Apacci stared at him in confusion.

Ichigo raised his head and chuckled.

**"Yeah, I get that a lot."**

He moved Lilynett a little so that he was able to free one of his hands. He raised it and listened to Shirosaki.

**'Concentrate a small amount of reiatsu into your fingers and try to feel the very air with it. Move a little with your hand and when you feel a tiny crack in air pressure, sharpen the reiatsu in your fingers and rip that crack.'**

Ichigo closed his eyes and did as instructed. When he was sure he felt a tiny rift he ripped it apart and before him a Garganta, big enough for few people, suddenly formed. He turned around to the group.

**"We good to go?"** He asked them, shifting Lilynette so that she was safely in his grip.

They nodded and when he turned and walked into Garganta, he missed to strange look in their eyes when they looked at Lilynette in his arms that resembled something akin to longing.

* * *

"Weeeell, that was unexpected." Kyoraku commented slyly. He was watching Ichigo's interaction with female Arrancars.

"Who knew that he would be a player."

He heard Ukitake coughing lightly so he turned his head. His friend was nodding his head in direction of Unohana who was looking at the place where the Garganta just closed with a gleam in her eyes. Kyoraku gulped. Once again, he pitied Ichigo.

'I should warn him once he gets back.'

"Are you fine with this Genryusai-dono?" Ukitake asked his former sensei.

"I mean, with taking all of them to Hueco Mundo."

Old Captain just rolled his eyes in irritation.

"It seems it would be pointless to tell him otherwise. He's a foolish and naive boy... but he does have a genuine good heart. I can't argue with that. I'd say it will be his downfall, but after witnessing his fight, I think he can handle himself." He scratched his beard.

"I'm still unsure about this, but I'd like to keep him here in Soul Society, train him, teach him and in time, offer him a position in Gotei 13." He said surprising them while silently asking the trio for their opinions. They were his most senior Captains and he valued their opinions.

Ukitake was the one most surprised.

"Are you serious Genryusai-sensei? I understand that he is very strong, but he is also very young, no to mention still a living human. He has family and friends in the world of the living."

Unohana sadly shook her head.

"As much as it pains me to say, Kurosaki-san may not have a say in this. While his spiritual body and his reiatsu is incredible, I fear that his human body will not be able to cope with it. On top of that, it would be unwise to let him stay in human world. His spiritual energy would only influence other souls, just like he did with the girl Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasotura. There are probably others that can at least see ghost and were influenced by him. Now that he is even stronger and his reiatsu more potent... I don't think he could stay there permanently."

Ukitake and Kyoraku sadly nodded.

"It's sad...he's still so young. It seems however that he is maturing quickly." Kyoraku said and sighed with the others.

"I think we should contact Soul Society, it's finally over after all." Unohana said while getting up.

Yamamoto sighed and took out his transmitter.

'My only hope is that Central 46 won't do something stupid.'

* * *

Journey through the Garganta was uneventfull, aside from constant bickering between Mila Rose anld Appaci, all the while Sung-sun's jabs only worsened the situation.

After a while they emerged in a deserted place, somewhere in Hueco Mundo.

"Where are we?" Harribel asked.

**"I'm not really sure, but I picked a place that was near my friends. The voices I hear from nearby are probably them. I left them with two Captains of Gotei 13 so I think it would be wise to tell them about you so they wouldn't accidentally try to kill you."** Ichigo said scratching his head.

Harribel raised her eyebrow.

"Tch. Like a weak Captain could take on Lady Harribel." Appaci snorted

**"Well, I don't know about Byakuya, but Kenpachi is someone you should not provoke. He did defeated Nnoitra practically in one strike you know."**

Harribel raised her second eyebrow but said nothing.

**"We should go but first I think I should drop my Ressurección. Just a second."** Ichigo said and he let his mask crumble and regressed back to his bankai. He noticed in dismay that his hair stayed at waist length and almost wanted to whine.

"And how the hell can you even have a Ressurección? You're a shinigami, are you not?" Apacci asked.

"It's a long story. Let me just say that I'm not a simple shinigami. Oh and by the way, I'm still a living human." He smirked when no saw their jaws drop to the floor.

Harribel shook her head in amusement.

'He's quite the enigma.'

"Follow me." Ichigo said and flash-stepped in the direction of the voices.

Small group of the remaining people in Huceo Mundo was nervously waiting for some news when they noticed someone with long orange hair rapidly approaching them.

Rukia and Orihime were instantly on thier feet when they noticed that he was followd.

Two Captains drew their blades while the third one was busy making some calculations.

Ichigo arrived just in time to stop them from attacking the ones behind him.

"Easy there Byakuya, Kenpachi. They are not an enemy."

"Explain boy, what are you doing with these Arrancars and what of Aizen?" Byakuya asked suspiciously while Kenpachi just grinned like always.

Ichigo was just opening his mouth when a green blur almost tackled him on the ground, but he managed to side-step at the last second.

"Iiiiichiiigooo." Came a happy girlish voice.

"Nel?" He said and side-stepped her another attempt at tackling him.

She dusted herself from the ground and pouted at him.

"Why did you dodge?" Only then they noticed that he was carrying somone in his arms.

"Who's that?" Rukia asked in mild confusion.

"Ah, I think her name is Lilynette. She's just unconscious so I carried her here." He only said and turned back to Nel, not noticing a dangerous flash in Rukia's eyes.

"What happened to you Nel? Last I saw you, you were in your child form again." Ichigo asked Nel.

"Orihime healed me." She smiled at the embarassed girl.

"I-it was nothing really." She waved her hands but Nel caught her in a hug.

"Riiiiigt." Ichigo tore his eyes from the image of two busty girls hugging, desperately trying not to let his nose bleed. He noticed that Renji was gaping openly with a huge stream of nosebleed on his face with Rukia smacking him on the head and he grinned.

"About Aizen...well, I managed to defeat him after ..." He then proceeded to tell them about the fight, mentioning Gin too.

They were listening to him wide wide eyes with a slight flash of fear when he told them about Aizen's transformations.

"I see." Was Byakuya's only answer.

"What happened to Hogyoku?" Mayuri's voice came from a far.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's still in Aizen's body." Ichigo shrugged, not caring.

"Hmm...curious...I should investigate." Mayuri muttered under his breath.

"About your second question. This is Tier Harribel, former Tercera Espada with her Fracción and I mentioned Lilynette. She was a partner of the Primera Espada. I got Yama-jii permission to escort them to Hueco Mundo and leave them here... unharmed." He added when he noticed insane grin on Mayuri's face who snorted and got back to his work.

"Old far actually allowed that?" Kenpachi grinned, making Byakuya look at him with disapproval.

"Yeah, I was surprised myself. But he made them my responsibility. If they try to attack Soul Society, I'll be the one who'll deal with them. So shortly... don't do that." He said while looking at the group of Arrancars with serious eyes.

"I'll probably visit to make sure everything is under control, alright?" He added.

"Sure thing Icchi." Nel flashed to him and gave him a kiss on a cheek leaving him sputtering with pink cheeks. Renji gave him catcalls.

"Got yourself a girlfriend Strawberry?" He smirked at him while a dark look went through Rukia's and Orihime's faces.

Ichigo coughed and turned to Renji.

"Jealous much, Pineapple?" Leaving Renji gaping at him and Rukia and Orihime looking irritated. He hear a cough from behind and turned to see Byakuya's mouth twitching with mild amusement what in turn almost left him gaping.

'When the hell did Byakuya's poker face melt?'

"What now?" Isane asked shyly from behind Captains. She blushed when they looked at her and pointed her eyes on the ground.

"Well, my job here is done so I suppose we should head back Soul Society. We all deserve a nice rest." He turned to Harribel and her Fracción and Nel.

"This place is probably yours for now. I'd recommend you to go to Las Noches. I don't think that anyone here would want to attack you, but if something happens, you can contact me and I'll see if I can help okay?" He was adressing mainly Harribel since she was the most mature of them all.

"You're going already Ichigo?" Nel asked, pouting at him. He couldn't resist and smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry Nel and take care of Pesche and Dondonchakka. In fact, take care of Lilynette too. She was the partner of Primera who's dead I think, so she'll need someone to be with her, okay?" He said while handing her the small Arrancar.

She nodded and carefully took her in her arms.

He watched as they all flashed away with some of them waving at him and sighed.

"Kurosaki, you said return to Soul Society. Didn't you mean Karakura Town?" Ishida asked, pushing his glasses up the nose making Ichigo jump in surprise.

"Whoa Ishida, didn't see you here." Ishida's brow twitched in annoyance and he waited for an answer.

"I plan to, but I was told to go to the 4th Division barracks after the fight. Trust me, you don't want to disagree with Unohana-san." He shuddered and he saw other Captains do the same. Even Kenpachi looked uncomfortable.

"I see. Okay Kurosaki, see you later." Ishida nodded with Sado who seemed to appear from nowhere.

Ichigo turned to Orihime and lightly hugged her.

"Once again, I'm really sorry Orihime, for everything I put you through. I hope you'll forgive me someday." He looked at her with serious eyes making her nod with a light blush.

Rukia was watching the scene with slight jealousy.

'I wonder how would it feel to be hugged by him... Argh, stop that!' She berated herself.

* * *

It was already evening when Ichigo stood in front of the 4th Division barracks. Until now, he was helping others with cleaning after the fight, checking on the injured and trying to avoid his newly formed fans that were calling him 'Hero of the Winter War'. He was glad to find out that Hyiori managed to get past her injury and was now in intensive care, recovering. Other Vizards decided to stay with her, since they believed that Soul Society would try to throw her in jail while she was weak. Ichigo hoped, that something like that wouldn't happen.

He noticed that women were giving him a lot more looks than before. They were now whispering when he went past them, smiling too brightly at him. It made him a little nervous.

'No time to think about that. It's time to descednd into Hell.' He thougth bitterly and opened the doors into 4th division barracks.

He instantly noticed that the ruckus that was apparent when they first arrived back to Soul Society after Aizen's defeat had quieted down a little. He walked through the corridors and almost bumped into Isane, the 4th division Lieutenant.

"Oh, I'm sorry...Isane-san, right?" He quickly aplogized.

"H-hai, Kurosaki-san. I'm sorry too, I was thinking about something and wasn't even looking where I was going..." She muttered.

"It's alright." He assured her.

"Do you know wheere I can find Unohana-san? She told me to visit her for some check-up or something and I think that not going is not an option if I want to live another day?"

She chuckled slightly.

"She's in the medical room number four." He thanked her and walked away.

'He's such a nice guy.' Isane mused, blushing slightly. She shook her head and went to her room to take a long shower.

Ichigo knocked on the door with number four on them.

"Unohana-san?"

"Kurosaki-san, good timing I actually wanted to send someone for you." She turned to face him with sweet smile. He waved his hand nervously.

"Nah, I had a feeling I had to go here as soon as I could."

She pointed at the free bed and patted it.

"Sit Kurosaki-san. I want to make a full check-up on oyu. But before that, do you think you could drop your bankai already? You must be very tired after keeping it for this long."

"Well, I'm tired but not because of that. It actually isn't that draining. I only forgot I was in it that I didn't drop it." He sat on the bed and reversed back to shikai.

Unohana meanwhile sweatdropped.

'He forgot he was in bankai?'

"Now lay down." He did as she asked. She concentrated while her glowing hand scanned for any abnormalities. Ichigo closed his eyes so he didn't notice the appreciative gaze that Unohana was giving him.

'Hmm..so young and already so refined. My, my, Ichigo, you are definately going to be mine someday. Never think otherwise, even if I had to share you with others. Then again, that would be maybe even a better idea.'

She traced his abs, slightly touching him. He didn't seem to care so she advanced and caressed his whole upper body. She didn't dare to do the same thing lower, as she was certain that he would freak out. She then felt something wet on her chin.

'Oh, I'm so bad, I'm actually drooling.' She wiped her face with a sleeve.

"Do you feel anything wrong, does anything hurt Kurosaki-san?" She asked.

Ichigo, who was holding his breath ever since he felt het touch, shook his head.

"No, I'm ... I just feel tired."

"Well, it's no surprise. You have been fighting for more than a day constantly and against three members of Espada and after that against Aizen. You should have collapsed long before that. I must admit that your stamina is monstrous even in shinigami's terms Kurosaki-san." She said while licking her lips discreetly.

'I wonder how is his stamina in bed?' She thought and flushed a little, when she imagined the scene.

"Y-yeah. Thanks to the fact that I trained a little in World of the Living, I guess." He smiled nervously. Unohana being so near to him screamed 'DANGER!DANGER!' to him.

"Do you think I could stay in some vaccant bed? If you're full I can always drop at some other palce. I don't want to impose on you."

Unohana's smile got wider.

"Of course not Kurosaki-san. You can stay here, I wouldn't want to throw our hero on the streets." She threw another angelic smile on him.

"Now, if you don't need anything else I have some paperwork to do. You can go to sleep now. Tommorow will be a long day." She chuckled and left the room.

He rolled his eyes at his new title and tucked himself in bed.

He didn't have the slightest idea what time it was, when he awoke to some movement next to him. He wanted to sit and found out what was going on but when he felt some female arm on his chest he froze and didn't dare to move.

Ichigo wanted to jump and run anyway, but by the feel of the reiatsu he found out that it was Unohana, that came into the room and moved herself next to him on the bed. She settled on his right side, with his right hand pushed between her breast and her right hand resting on his chest.

What freaked him out was the fact, that she wasn't wearing any bra. He discovered that under her heavy clothing she usually wore, she had quite the volume in the breats area. He was hoping she couldn't see his blush and was actually glad that Shirosaki and Zangetsu were asleep.

Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, he felt her move a little. Since he didn't want her to notice that he was awake, he kept his eyes closed.

So naturally, he wasn't aware that she supported herself on him, with her face hovering above his. Then he heard her whisper.

"Good night, Ichigo." She said softly and planted her lips lightly on his, then she lowered herself on him again and went to sleep with her head on his shoulder.

' . .On? Unohana-san, the Captain of 4th Division just kissed me? Oh crap, I'm doomed.' Ichigo was in complete shock. He never expiected something this bold from the usually calm and strict captain.

Then he licked his lips and a small grin showed itseld on his face. The taste of her lips still lingered on his. She tasted wild, like an exotic fruit.

'Guess she isn't so quiet as she appears to be.'

And he went to sleep with a goofy grin plastered on his face.

* * *

When he awoke for the second time, it was already morning and the sun was shining, the bright light flowing through the windows into the rooms. He yawned and flexed his muscles. He was feeling rested and ready for another day.

He instantly noticed that the warm body of Unohana that was present during the night was gone. Relief flew through him. It wouldn't be good to be found out sleeping in a bed with a Captain of 4th Division. He stood up and went to the bathroom to get a nice hot shower.

It was in the bathroom when he noticed in surprise that his hair somehow regressed back and now it was almost touching his shoulders.

'Another good point of this morning.'

After he finished showering, he wrapped a towel around him. He was just reaching for his clothes when he heard doors being open. He turned around and found extremely red Isane, Rukia and a gaping Matsumoto.

"Eh, hello?" He greeted them nervously.

"Eeek!" Isane yelped and turned around, hiding her face in her palms.

'Isn't she a medic? She must have seen a naked man already, right?'

"Dress yourself for god's sake strawberry." Rukia excalimed, avoiding his gaze with a red cheeks.

"No, no, let him be the way he is." Matsumoto said, swallowing him with her eyes. Rukia looked at her in embarrassment.

"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to show up just after my shower, midget." Ichigo retorted cheekily, trying not to blush himself. Rukia immediately moved to kick him but he held up his hands.

"Ah,ah midget, do you want to see my towel fall that much?" After that, she stopped and gaped at him, blushing profusely.

"I do." Matsumoto immediately responded without shame and Ichigo almost backed up a little from her.

"R-right. So, do you mind letting me put my clothes on or will you stay here and stare at me?"

He saw Matsumoto open her mouth so he quickly interrupted her.

"That was a rethorical question. Out!" He ushered them away.

After that he dressed, took Zangetsu from the wall and walked out of the room.

"So, I suppose you wanted to talk to me?" He asked the trio.

"H-hai. Captain Unohana says yu are to do what you want, but there is a Captains meeting at 11:00 Am, which is only twenty minutes ahead and your presence is requested." Ichigo nodded and slightly blushed at the mentioning of Unohana, what Rukia noticed right away.

"What is it Strawberry?"

"Nothing, not a damn thing." He quickly replied. Too quickly as Rukia looked at him suspiciously.

"Thank you, Isane-san." She smiled a little and bowed. After that she left to tend to other patients.

"What about you Rangiku-san? I assume you wanted something from me too?" He turned his head to her.

"Oh I do, but that's for another time." She giggled shamelessly as Ichigo's mouth twitched in irritation.

"But for now, I'm inviting you to a party this evening. Before you reject this idea, I must inform you, that this party is dedicated to you, the Hero of the Winter War, soooo you can't really refuse to go." She said firmly.

Ichigo sighed.

"Well, I kinda suspected it was something like this, so I mentally prepared for the inevitable. Just to remind you though, I'm still a minor so I won't be drinking and it doesn't matter that I'm a shinigami."

"Aww, poo." She pouted at him. His mouth twitched again.

"Fine, fine, I'll have a little beer if you have something like that but nothing stronger, is that clear?" He looked her in the eyes, looking for confirmation.

"Okaaay. Spoilsport." She pouted again and walked away to look for her Captain.

"So, I guess you are here to escort he to the Captains meeting?" He shifted his feet to face Rukia.

"Yes, and we should be going." She replied and flash-stepped away. He quickly caught on.

"Sooo, you have a question for me too? Don't look at me like that, I can feel that you are almost at the end of your patience."

"What the hell happened to you Ichigo? How in the god's name did you defeat Aizen? I mean, I know how you did it, but I don't understand it. Before you went to Hueco Mundo, and even before fighting Ulquiorra you had a hard time beating Grimmjow and he was Espada number six. But then somehow you defeated Ulquiorra, Espada number four, almost one-shotted Yammy, Espada number zero and from what I heard so far, you defeated Aizen, even after he transformed four times. There is no way you could have done that with the strength you had before." She snapped.

"I guess I was holding back?" He said nonchalantly and then dodged a kick from Rukia.

"Fine, fine, but I don't understand why are you so angry. It mostly really is the fact that I was holding back. I mean it. I found out that because I was afraid of my own power I couldn't use it to full extent. I had to change my thinking and my reslove for unlocking that... and I had to accpet who I am." Ichigo explained shortly.

"Your...you mean your hollow..." Light bubble seemed to turn on above Rukia's head. Then she tried to kick him again.

"Whoa, what the-"

"You dumbass, using your hollow powers is dangerous, it could have turned out badly!" She yelled at him.

He turned and looked at her sternly.

"And what you you know about my hollow, hm, smartass?" HE snapped.

She looked at him in surprise making him inhale deeply to calm down.

"I never tried to understand him, I just rejected him because he's a hollow and I thought that hollows were mindless beasts. But now I know better. I know who and what he is. I know what my strength is, I know that I can trust him. Before that I wouldn't probably try so hard to save Harribel and her Fracción. I still wouldn't kill them, but I would only try to change old man's mind, not actually change it. You'll know exactly what happened later. I think Captain Commander will ask me the same question today." He finished and hurried up, leaving her slightly behind.

End of Chapter 2.

**All for now guys. Hope you like it and just to tease you, the name of the third chapter will be : Rise of the Protector (Black & White ... & Gray?)  
****Every chapter will have symbolic meaning so I think that if you think about it, you'll get what I mean :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Rise of the Protector

**Hello guys, it's time for another chapter of Waf of the Protector.  
I'll be repeating myself, but seeing so many reactions makes me very happy :)**

**For some of you that are more into action... well, I'm sorry, but for now I want to explore what makes Ichigo the Protector he is, so no action.  
But I still hope this chapter will interest you.**

Yes, Ichigo is kinda overpowered, but even the strongest of opponents can be taken down by someone who's weaker (David & Goliath anyone?).  
Ichigo has more reiatsu than most, but to use it properly he'll have to train (I won't be giving him power-ups, which are not earned.)

**About the harem... weeeell, you can never be sure who's going to be in it if it's me who's writing the story :D. Before you can be absolutely sure about it, I'll give a confirmation in story.**

** Tha Golden Boy ... yes, I'm afraid myself that I'll end up in some cliche, that's why I'm so hesitant to add more women. I'm conflicted between how I want things to be and how they should be. **

**Enough ranting, read the chapter ;).**

**P.S : at the end I'll give you a name of the next chapter, see if you can predict what will happen in it :)**

**Chapter 3: Rise of the Protector (Black & White ... & Gray?)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

Ichigo stood in front of huge doors, that marked the entrance to the 1st Division barracks and he was feeling very nervous. Something from the back of his mind was warning him, that this meeting won't be as easy as Gotei 13 thanking him for defeating Aizen.

He sighed and when doors opened, he hesitantly walked inside, where Captains were standing in two rows, with the Captain Commander in the centre.

Gulping slightly, he walked and stopped in front of the old Commander.

Yamamoto brought his cane down with a boom.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you are standing here, because we feel that for all the help, that you have given us, you deserve a formal thank you. Therefore, in the name of Gotei 13, I thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo." He said with a booming voice and slightly nodded in the direction of Ichigo, who nervously laughed.

"Aah, don't mention it."

"But I think you already know that this is not the only thing we wanted to discuss with you." Yamamoto added.

"Yes. What is it?" Ichigo asked nervously, making Commander open his squinting eyes and look at him directly.

"We would want to hear the full story of how you came to possess hollow powers and what exactly happened in Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo was still nervous, but he still managed to frown.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why should I tell you. I have no problem with explaining as to how I came into possession of hollow powers, but why do you want to know about Hueco Mundo?"

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes a little. He was expecting such a question.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, the answer is simple. To determine if you are indeed in control of yourself and to find out just how did you increase your power, we need to hear the story. I think you understand that punishment for acquiring hollow powers of your own will is severe. The Central 46 still haven't been formed and therefore I'm in control of decisions, so for now I simply want to know, if we can trust you with controlling your hollow powers. However, after the Central 46 is formed, what will happen to you will be their decision. With me having information about you and your story, I can somewhat defend you, otherwise... well you get the idea."

Ichigo was still calm, but he didn't like what he was hearing.

"So you are telling me that even after everything I've done, your government can still do to me whatever they want to?" He asked slightly angered.

Yamamoto sighed.

"I understand your distrust, but what do you think would happen if your hollow powers would get out of control? You claim that something like that can't happen, but you have no proof since there is almost no evidence of this phenomenon. You yourself are aware just how much power you possess. With that much power being out of control, many lives can be lost."

Ichigo clenched his fists.

'Damnit. I want to be angry, I want to yell at him ... but what he says is true... I lost control once and the results were disastrous. Damnit.'

"I understand what you're talking about. But you have to understand something too. If your government think, that they can execute me just becuase I want to protect the people I care about, and because of that I gained power that they don't understand... I will not just stand here and let them kill me." Ichigo replied, carefully choosing words, so that they would understand that he wasn't threatening them directly, that he was only giving a warning.

Yamamoto frowned and rubbed his temples. He understood him exactly as Ichigo intended to, but it wasn't very calming.

"You dare to threaten the Gotei 13? Know your place brat!" Voice of Sui-Feng interrupted their thoughts.

'Ah, I really am getting too old for this shit.' Yamamoto sighed and looked at the Captain of the 2nd Squad.

'She really needs to learn to read between the lines.'

Ichigo's eyebrows twitched in annoyance and he turned to her.

"Oh I know my place very well. It's between stupid people and the people I care about. I don't care who you are. If you threaten my family and friends, you are unlucky. Moreover, you misunderstood, I'm not threatening anyone, I'm just warning you that you shouldn't cross me. I've been through a lot and I know what I can expect from you. I'm not naive anymore. Not everything is black and white. Between that are many shades of gray that can determine what is wrong and what's not. But your government sees everything only in black and white. I just want you and your whole system to learn to see other colours. Not everything is simple and you need to learn that not everything you thought that was truth in the past is the truth nowadays. I've met hollows, arrancars, that are more human than most humans. I've met Quincy, who befriended a shinigami. I've met a shinigami, who respects humans. I've met humans, who would fight and try to hurt you just because the colour of your freaking hair is different. There are many examples that not everything that's written in the stone is true. Do you know that after the battle I found a surviving member of Espada?" He stopped to take a breath and looked Sui-Feng in the eyes.

Other captains were listening to him while holding their breaths.

"Yes, I heard about that. I disagree with your decision but continue." Sui-Feng said.

"I eas expecting you to disagree. Do you know what the said Espada wanted to do after she woke up? Mind that she was in such a bad shape she could hardly move. No, you would never guess it. She wanted to check on her Fracción, her companinons and she refused to leave without them. How many people, humans or shinigami, would show that much devotion to others at the battlefield, in which you have badly lost and you could be executed on sight? I'll tell you. Almost none. Nobody would risk their necks for others in such a situation. Do you still believe that every hollow is bad? I've met a child arrancar, her name is Nel, who is such an innocent child, that you would want to take care of her almost immediately. She's now an adult, but she's still a sweet person and would never try to hurt you without a good reason. Of course, the most hollows are not like them. I know that. But as I said, there is not only black and white, but also shades of gray. Your government exiled your own Captains and Lieutenants without any hard evidence and condemned them to almost sure death. What would you do if, for example, your mentor, Shihoin Yoruichi would turn to a shinigami with hollow powers? Would you mercilessly kill her or would you try to save her?"

Sui-Feng looked at him but averted his gaze after a moment.

"I...I would do anything in my power trying to save her." She muttered quietly.

Ichigo nodded.

"Yes, exactly. You see? You may be a military organization, but even you have feelings, you are not machine. I learned from Byakuya something, I admit that. If you, the Captains wouldn't uphold the law, that who would? There would be probably anarchy. So yes, you must listen to your government, but that government should be made from the ones who are open-minded not bigoted nobles, that are so stuck up in their traditions, that they don't even know what it's like trying to survive every day. Look at the Rukongai. Every soul which is sent to Soul Society is being said, that this place is a heaven. Who are you trying to kid? I saw what it looks like. It's a dump and I don't even want to know what happnes there or I would probably vomit. You can live hundreds of years and yet you do nothing, because the damn nobles won't allow you to spend their money on poor. Is that any different from the humans in the World of the Living? No, it's even worse. We, humans learned from our mistakes. Not completely but we are trying, but you however are not." He paused again, trying to catch his breath.

Nobody spoke a word.

"As I was saying, I'm not expecting you to break law on daily basis. I just want you to make this place a better place for every soul. I want you to take into account circumstances of every situation and not just do everything mindlessly. If you disagree with your government, let them know and they should rethink it again... I think that's everything I wanted to say..." Ichigo finally stopped his monologue and looked around at others.

Some Captains were looking at the ground slightly ashamed, some of them were thinking hard, even Kenpachi wasn't grinning anymore. But most of them gave almost no reaction to his speech, if only slightly closed their eyes, trying to look indifferent.

"Oh yeah, and do you have a problem with me? Ever since you've known about me, you were trying really hard to get rid of me." Ichigo added a question for Sui-Feng who looked at him in surpirse, not expecting this question.

"Yes, ... well I had, but most of them were slightly erased by what you just said. But I still think of you as a rash individual with too much power that could turn on us." She managed to reply.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows.

'I see... so the effect of Yoruichi-san leaving her behind is still there. She's paranoid and afraid that she'll be betrayed again.'

Ichigo sighed and thought about some sort of solution that could change her opinion of him. Suddenly an idea occured to him and he grinned, which confused the female Captain.

"So... how about we spar sometime? I could take it as a training, we could get to know each other and you may even change your opinion of me." He asked her.

She narrowed her eyes on him.

"That is a stupid idea, as your huge Zanpaktou against my Suzumebachi is the worst match-up I can think of."

Ichigo chuckled.

"Oh no, I'm not talking about using zanpaktou. I'm talking about Hakuda, it's your speciality in 2nd Division right?"

Sui-Feng and others raised their eyebrows in surprise. He willingly wanted to spar in Hakuda against master assassin?

"Do you have a death wish? If I agree I won't go easy on you."

"Challenge accepted. Bring it on." Ichigo grinned cheekily, making Sui-Feng grin too, albeit a little bit evilly.

"If I may, Captain Commander." Ukitake spoke up.

Yamamoto noded to him.

"Kurosaki-san, we actually wanted to talk to you about that. We think that it would be best if you stayed here in Soul Society for some time so that you could learn something about being a shinigami." Ukitake said slowly.

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

Ukitake turned his head and looked at Unohana who nodded and came forward.

Ichigo's cheeks colored a little when his gaze met hers, but he endured it and didn't avert his eyes.

"Kurosaki-san. I believe that you will be forced to stay in Soul Society simply because of the changes that you went through. You may not feel any different from before, but your sudden growth in power will be probably too much for your human body, which is too fragile. I'm not saying it's permanent, but you'll probably have to give your body some time to slowly adjust to your new reiatsu. I'm sure that Urahara Kisuke will know more, but I want you to be prepared for possibly bad news." She said sadly.

Ichigo looked at her in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? You mean that if I tried to return to my body I could... die?"

Unohana smiled sadly.

"No, not exactly. But if you tried to force your soul in your old body, it would probably result in great amount of pain, as your body needs to adjust itself. It would be best to simply pour your reiatsu in extremely small doses into the body and let it take care of it itself. As I said, it may take some time but eventually the body would be able to take your soul back."

'So, this is the price I have to pay in exchange for the power to protect? I'll have to talk with Dad and girls... damn how can I explain it? I really need to talk to Urahara-san.'

Ichigo clenched his fist and shook his head.

"It's okay. It makes sense. I'll talk to Urahara-san as soon as I can."

Unohana nodded and stepped back.

"Now, Kurosaki Ichigo, I believe it's time for your story." Yamamoto spoke up.

Ichigo sighed and shifted his weight on his other leg.

"Right. I'll start from the beginning. Ever since I was little I could see ghosts. Of course, back then I didn't know that they were ghosts, I realized it later. It became a routine for me to help some of them, if they were unfortunate, but mostly I helped kids who recently died and couldn't find their parents. One evening, while I was in my room, a weird person in black clothing came from nowhere. I found out that she, Kuchiki Rukia, was a shinigami and from her I learned the basics of the hollow-shinigami equivalency. That same evening, almost at the same moment, my house was attacked by a hollow. I naively thought, after Rukia told me that the hollow was after me because of my unusually high reiatsu, that if he was to kill me, he would leave my sisters and my father alone. Heh, naive indeed. Rukia saved me, but it cost her most of her strength. She was unable to fight anymore, but she offered me a chance to save my family. I had to become a shinigami myself by plunging her sword through my heart. I did it, and thus I became a shinigami. Never once I thought that giving power to a human was an offense. The days went by, I was purifying hollows with Rukia's help and I think I was doing a good job. But then a huge hollow appeared, the Menos Grande. I managed to drive it back by pure instinct and from there it all went downhill. Not long after that, Rukia tried to leave and that's when Renji and Byakuya came for her. I tried to stop them, as I owed her my life and the life of my family. Byakuya injured me, believing that he left me powerless. Urahara-san found me lying in the pool of my own blood and nursed me back to health. He offered me a chance to regain my powers, which I accepted too hastily. I didn't even ask what the procedure of getting my powers back included and few minutes later I was already trying to survive. When I was in my soul form, he cut off my chain of life and told me to change into shinigami, otherwise I would end up as a hollow and he would have to kill me."

Few Captains shook their head in disbelief. How could have Urahara Kisuke, a well-known genius do that to just a kid?

"Well, I had no idea how to turn back into a shinigami so my chain of life corroded completely and threatened to turn me into a hollow. I later found out, that I was supposed to turn into one immediately. But strangely, I was able to resist and found myself in my Inner World, where thanks to Zangetsu, my zanpaktou, I discovered that I owned my own shinigami powers. I turned into a shinigami, but I wasn't quick enough and from what I understood, the traces of my hollow partly managed to infect my soul. At that time I wasn't aware of this fact. I was happy that I managed to take out Zangetsu from inside my soul."

At this point Captains were whispering in shock but Ichigo haven't noticed.

"What followed is probably known to you. I trained for ten days and after that me and my friends invaded Soul Society, trying to save Rukia from execution. During that time I fought Ikkaku-san, Renji and Kenpachi. First time I tried to face Byakuya, Yoruichi-san knocked me down and told me, that at that moment I couldn't defeat him. So then I trained for my bankai. After two and something days I managed to do that and the rest happened at the Sokyoku Hill. During my fight with Byakuya, I admit, my bankai was proving too much for my body to handle and I started to lose. When Byakuya threatened to kill me, my hollow managed to usurp the control from me and fought Byakuya instead. I managed to drive him back and we finished our fight. After Aizen went to Hueco Mundo I returned to the World of the Living, but the hollow's voice became more profound and louder and I was becoming afraid to turn into a shinigami. I was struggling and trying to hold him back with my will but it was greatly lowering my fighting ability. Thankfully, I was contacted by your ex-Captains and ex-Lieutenants, the Vaizards and they taught me how to defeat my hollow. After that I was able to use my hollow powers freely, but it had a time limit, which I slowly increased in each fight." He stopped and took a breath.

"In Hueco Mundo it was simple, fight everyone and win. First time I ran into Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo, he left me dying and only thanks to Grimmjow, the Sexta Espada, who wanted me to fight him at full health, I survived. To clear it up, he brought Orihime and made her heal me. We fought and eventually I won. But then the Quinto Espada, Nnoitra showed up and since I gave all to my fight with Grimmjow, he trashed me badly. Kenpachi showed up and took Nnoitra on while Orihime healed me again. He won but as we were going to escape, a man , who I now know was the Primera Espada, took Orihime away, what left me with no other choice than going after her. I ran into Ulquiorra again. We fought, I managed to force him to release his Resurreción and then everything went into hell." Ichigo inerrupted his speech and sighed.

'There goes the bad part.'

"In his Resurreción he was overpowering me easily. He was loads stronger than Grimmjow or even Nnoitra. I refused to back down and he released for the second time. He called it Resurrección Segunda Etapa and that he was the only one from the Espada who could do that and that even Aizen didn't know about it."

"What rank should he have been, Kurosaki-san?" Ukitake asked with interest.

Ichigo thought a little.

"Honestly? I'm not sure since I never fought the Primera, Segunda or Tercera. I briefly fought Zero however. I felt the reiatsu of the Tercera so going by the reiatsu I'd say he was only slightly below Zero. Combat ability he was fast, faster than almost anyone I've ever seen. His Cero and other attacks had devastating effects. You can say that he was on equal grounds with Primera." Ichigo replied, shocking the Captains.

"How were you able to defeat him, then?" Sui-Feng asked.

"Ah... I wasn't able to defeat him." Ichigo admitted.

"What do you mean?" Sui-Feng asked confused.

"He killed me." He said simply, shocking them even further.

"Let me explain. He blew a Cero through me, creating a gaping hole inside my chest. I woke up in my Inner World, where I met my hollow." He heard a slight gasping.

"We fought, but I was once again overpowered. But my hollow is not stupid and offered me a last chance to redeem myself. In his own words, he could have just take my body and leave everyone but Aizen would find him and even he couldn't fight Aizen alone. Thanks to him I realized something I should have realized a long time before."

"What was it?" Kyoraku asked quietly.

"That to be able to fight at my full power I needed to fully accept who I am. I needed to accept, that myself is only a one part of me, and only a one part of my power. I needed to accept, that at my very core my power was divided into three separate beings. Myself, my zanpaktou, Zangetsu and my hollow, Shirosaki. It sounds crazy I know. How could I trust a hollow? But he made some good points. Ever since my hollow powers have awoken, they were hindering the other part, Zangetsu, therefore I was able to fight with only one part of me. Trust me, it wasn't easy for me to accept, that part of my soul is a hollow. But I did it and I accepted him and we merged."

Yamamoto's eyebrows shot so high they couldn't even be seen after that statement. His hand almost twitched and he had to stop himself from doing something stupid.

Others were faring the same.

Ichigo raised his hands.

"Yeah. However, I'm still me. Merging with my hollow increased my reiatsu exponentialy, since it's no longer hindering me, my body underwent a small growth and I now posess Resurrección. Don't be fooled though. I can almost see what you think. Hollow was always a part of me. It's part of my power. Even if I wouldn't have gained a hollow in the training with Urahara-san I'd still be around this strong. Only addition is that I can use some of hollow powers. Of course I'll have to train now even more than a normal shinigami, since I have to balance my reiatsu into my attacks accordingly. If I would wish to learn a Kido, I would have to be careful not to use hollow part of my reiatsu, as I assume it would only result in blowing my face."

Ichigo stopped talking and looked at the Commander who was thinking. Old Captain stroke his beard and opened his eyes.

"I understand. I hope what you say is true. But that still doesn't answer the question to who defeated Ulquiorra?"

Ichigo scratched his head nervously.

"Ah yeah. It seems, that when I was in my inner world fighting my hollow, my body heard my friends screaming for help. My body was mostly dead, but it couldn't turn into another hollow, since I already was a part hollow. Therefore that part of me was the one that reacted and it fought using my body with pure instinct. From what I have memories, it was that form that defeated Ulquiorra. Quite easily by the way."

Yamamoto shook his head.

'Once again, I'm too old for this. This boy... it can't be a simple coincidence that he can do all of that, it's almost as if he's a ... '

He shook his head again. What he was thinking was impossible.

"And you think that you shouldn't have mentioned something as grave as that?" Yamamoto asked in irritation.

Ichigo shook his head.

"No, because it was one time thing only. Now that I'm merged with my hollow, something like that is mostly unlikely to happen."

'Mostly unlikely isn't good enough boy...' Yamamoto sighed and rubbed his temples.

He paused and thought about this whole situation.

'It is true that we never had any experiences with this kind of phenomenon. I really want to trust him. I can see clearly that all he wants is to protect, but what if once fails to do so? Will he be strong enough to endure the pain? Or will he seek revenge?... I'm Captain Commander of Gotei 13 and life of every shinigami is my responsibility. Can I gamble that on my belief in him?'

Ichigo was looking at him with small bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

'He is young and has a big heart and endured quite a lot. But still... .' Yamamoto stopped the train of his thoughts and reached a conclusion.

"Fine boy. I am putting my trust in you and your ability to make the right decision. You gave us a lot to think about. Indeed, nothing is black and white. I'm more than one millenia old and I lived through tough times so I understand where you're coming from. Maybe our decisions aren't the best, but if you have thousands or even millions of lives under your responsibility, you'll see that it's hard finding what's right and what's wrong and what's evil. However, I respect your opinion. I don't think I've met someone so young but with such strong will already. You are no longer that naive in my eyes, but what you want from the afterlife will be extremely hard to accomplish. Now, you are free to go. If you don't have a place to sleep ask some of the Captains, I'm sure they'll take you in for the time being. Dismissed."

Ichigo sighed in relief. He was glad that at least some of his thoughts reached them. When he was on his way out he remembered something and turned around.

"Yeah, I almost forgot, what about Vizards? Are they still exiled or ... ?"

Yamamoto squinted his eyes.

"No, since it was all due to Aizen's machinations, they are no longer exiled. Now it's their choice if they want to come back or not. We would be glad to have them back in our ranks but we'll understand if they don't want to."

"And Gin?"

There was a few seconds of silence.

"His action are unexcusable. Planning on taking revenge by sacrificing lives of many isn't something that a respected shinigami like himself should have done. We will hear him out later today. I personally don't want to see someone as talented as he is to go to waste, so the punishment will be less than death."

Ichigo sighed in relief for the second time.

'I really can't find the snake face a pleasurable man but I can understand his reasoning a little.'

He turned and walked out of the meeting.

* * *

"So, what do you think, sensei?" Kyoraku asked Yamamoto when he was sure that Ichigo was out of ears distance.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I caught it just like you did. It is not normal for a shinigami to create his own zanpaktou without the use of Asauchi. I don't think even I remember someone who did it before." Commander stroke his beard thinking hard.

"Wait, when did he say he didn't use an Asauchi?" Hitsugaya interrupted them.

"Well, from the reports we heard from Captain Kuchiki, his zanpaktou was broken when he was using power obtained from Kuchiki Rukia. It was probably an empty sword, as he didn't know its name and it was broken very easily. But in his story, he mentioned that he met his zanpaktou spirit in his inner world and that he pulled it out from his soul. We also know that his zanpaktou is a rare constant release type. It's safe to assume that he created his zanpaktou from nothing." Ukitake answered instead of the Commander.

"But that's ... impossible, isn't it?" Komamura joined the conversation.

Yamamoto nodded shortly.

"Yes, at least for a normal and traditional shinigami but we all know that Kurosaki Ichigo is hardly normal. He said that his zanpaktou informed him about his own shinigami powers that he always had. That raises another question. No living human can posess shinigami powers unless... ." He didn't finish when a knowing look flashed across Kyoraku's face.

"Unless one of his parents is a shinigami." He completed the sentence, creating a complete silence.

"Even if one of his parent is a shinigami, it can't be someone of low rank, otherwise he would never be this strong. It must have been someone on at least Lieutenant level or even higher. Captain Kuchiki, did Kuchiki Rukia mentioned something about his parents?" Commander turned his head to the noble Captain.

"Only things I know is that Kurosaki's family is very generous and kind and that ... ." Byakuya went silent for a moment and closed his eyes.

'I'm sorry Rukia, I promised you not to say this to anyone else, but I can't hide things from the Commander.'

"...And that his mother was killed before his very eyes when he was little. It was done by a hollow."

Even the Commander looked surprised by this and a little bit confused.

"That's ... but how can he not hate hollows then?" Unohana asked in shock.

"I don't know. It's like he's not blaming a hollow for that, but I can only speculate. Rukia said that he never talked much about this topic." Byakuya finished and stepped back.

"That's why it was so hard for him to accept his hollow part... probably." Ukitake mused while others nodded their heads in agreement.

'That's why he acts as he does. His life wasn't as innocent as I thought before.' Yamamoto sighed again.

It seemed like he did that a lot when talking about Kurosaki ichigo.

"We diverted a little from the original topic. It seems that his parents are not some no-names after all. We need to find out something about them, but do it slowly and discreetly. If he finds out about this... his trust in us could be lost." Yamamoto curtly nodded in Sui-Feng's direction who nodded back in acknowledgement.

"Now, this meeting is adjourned. Dismissed."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ichigo was thinking about the meeting, not knowing where his steps were taking him. Will the Gotei 13 really take him seriously like the Commander told him or would they just brush it under the tables? After all, they were an organization that held for more than a millenium. What could an opinion of a seventeen years old teenager change?

When he shook off these thoughts, he realized he was standing in front of the special unit at the back of 4th Division barracks, where the Vizards were staying, recuperating from their injuries taken in the fight with Aizen.

He remembered, that he haven't visited them yet and sighed in a little shame. They helped him quite a lot and he almost forgot about them.

When he got inside, he was welcomed with a rare sight, where most of the group was scattered around the Hyiori's bed, sleeping. He noticed that the ones who were still awake were Hacchi and Love.

"Hey guys, how are you holding up?" He greeted them quietly, so that he wouldn't woke up the others.

"Heey Ichigo , we're mostly fine. Me and Rose weren't that much injuried. Same with Shinji and Lisa. Kensei and Mashiro were beaten quite badly but they are out of the worst. Hacchi got his arm back, thanks to your friend Orihime. The only one who's keeping us worried is Hyiori. The little punk still haven't woken up." Love nodded in the direction of the small figure under blankets with blonde pigtails. Ichigo smirked when he noticed that Shinji was lightly holding Hyiori's hand.

"Sooo, when did this happen?" He pointed at their hands. Love started chuckling madly.

"Oh, ha-ha, you don't know the half of it. It is quite sad actually, because when Hyiori'll wake up and notice that, she'll kick him into unconsciousness. We think that this is just a brief moment of Shinji being afraid of loosing his childhood friend. No love between them, at least not that kind you are thinking of. Speaking of that, I think that Mashiro is the one who is the one most surprised. Kensei managed to form some nice words to her when she woke up." Love snickered again with Hacchi smiling widely.

Ichigo was gaping at him like a fish.

"Kensei? No way!"

"Yeah, noone would guess that he would break. But then again, Mashiro has been teasing him for more than a century so it's not that surprising if you think about it." Love chuckled again.

"How about you Kurosaki-san? You look quite fine after fighting Aizen practically alone." Hacchi asked him. It was when the name of Aizen was mentioned, that the others woke up with a start and looked at Ichigo in surprise.

"Whoa Ichigo, what are you doing here?" Shinji asked while trying to discreetly let go of Hyiori's hand. Ichigo noticed but decided that he could make fun of him later.

"Sup guys. I came to see how you were. Sorry that I didn't come sooner but I had little time. Just now I came out of the Captain's meeting." He saw that they tensed a little.

"We'll talk about that later. Sooo... how did you do it?" Shinji asked interestedly.

Ichigo sighed and sat down on the vaccant chair.

"I assume you're talking about Aizen. Well, some of you saw it with your own eyes and who didn't the others surely filled them in so I won't go into detailed story. Only thing I can say is that ... it was close. If the Hogyoku didn't reject him at the end and he wasn't sealed, I wouldn't be able to fight much longer."

"What about your hollow thingy? We heard that you managed to do a Resurreción? How? The reiatsu you released with it was unreal." Lisa butted in.

Ichigo turned to her and immediately blushed and looked somewhere else.

"Jesus Lisa-san, at least cover yourself with the blanket!" Ichigo half-yelled wildly. Lisa frowned in confusion and then looked down at herself.

Only then she noticed, that the only thing that she was wearing on her top were few bandages and even they were little bit loose.

"Oh. Interesting." Lisa mumbled and covered herself with a blanket.

Ichigo sweatdropped.

'That's interesting? She's even worse than Rangiku-san, both of them have no shame.'

"My Resurrección huh? I only acquired it few hours before my fight with Aizen." He said.

"Yeah, but how did you acquire it? We've been a Vizards for a little more than a century, yet you, who had hollow powers for only few months are already further than us." Shinji asked in irritation.

Ichigo scratched his head and sighed. He had a theory for some time but it was the first time he was going to say it outloud.

"Honestly? I don't know. I have a theory that it has to do something with the fact that your hollow powers were given to you artificialy and with force, while my hollow was born naturally. I'd ask him, but even he doesn't' know... ." Rose suddenly stopped him.

"Wait, ask him? You mean you can communicate with him?" He asked in shock.

Ichigo looked at him confused.

"Yeah, can't you? Shirosaki has been in contact with me for some time." The Vizards choke at the mention of the name of his hollow.

"You even gave him a name?" Love asked incredulously.

"Sure, he didn't have any and I saw that he would want one. He's a little bit crazy but sometimes he has good ideas." He looked at them even more confused when he saw them gaping at him.

"Yo-you know. Your theory might be true. You don't understand Ichigo. We have been living with our hollows for a centruy, yet we never heard anything coherent from them. They are only a mindless beasts who were trying to destroy us. Nothing more. But from what you're saying it almost seems like your hollow is a civilized person. That's why it's a shock to us." Shinji told him with wide eyes.

Ichigo only stared at him.

"I had no idea. In the beginning he was trying to take over but he was always ... I'd say a complete opposite of me. It was like we were two variables in an equation. Since we were always fighting, the equation had always wrong answer. Now that I accepted him as a part of me, the eqation is solved and I no longer need to fight him and he's no longer hindering my abilities."

"Quite the scholar he is... " Love mumbled shaking his head.

"So that's how you acquired the Resurrección? By accepting him?" Shinji asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes and no. I accepted him, but it was only a first step. The second one was merging with him." He held up his hand in defense when he noticed that they were looking at him in alarm.

"No need to panick. I'm still me, we only merged our powers, that's why my reiatsu increased. And since our powers are combined I can do releases of both shinigami and hollows, therefore bankai and Resurrección. My personality is unchanged, except for the fact that my emotions are little bit harder to control, but I'd say it's to be expected, since hollow represented my instincts."

"That means you're no longer gay?" Lisa asked with poker face making Ichigo drop to the floor in shock while others started to laugh.

"Hey! I'm not, never was, never will be gay! I'm only considerate to women and I'm not shameless, unlike you Lisa!" Love was wiping a tear that was trying to escape from his eyes from the hard laughing but then he heard Lisa's reply and he started to laugh even harder.

"So, basically you turned away from me when I wasn't covered in blankets because you were trying to be nice and not because you like hairy chest?"

Ichigo's eyebrows twitched with annoyance and he sat on the chair, fuming while he did so.

"Back to the topic. You accepted your hollow and merged with it... him, and that's how you got the Resurreción." Shinji sighed deeply and shook his head.

"What are you thniknig Shinji-san?" Hacci asked him.

"I'm thinknig that something like that won't be possible for us. Our hollows are not normal. They are completely separate entities and they are not part of us. Even if we accepted them, ther is no way in hell I'm ever gonna trust that crazy bastard and merge with him." He looked at the others and saw that they shared similar thoughts.

Ichigo opened his mouth to somehow console them, but in that moment they heard a loud groan coming from Hyiori's bed.

"Ow... the fuck is going on."

The Vizards looked at each other and immediately jumped and circled her bed. She opened her eyes and looked at them in confusion. They saw a flash running through her eyes and she tried to sit down, hissing in the process when a pain shot through her.

"Easy there sabertooth. You're not completely alright yet." Ichigo tried to calm her down. She looked in surprise at him and then grimaced.

"Fuck you carrot-top, where am I? What the fucking fuck happened? Answer me baldy." She grabbed Shinji's head and headbutted him.

"The hell are you doing Hyiori. It's over. You're in 4th Division barracks. Aizen was defeated, thanks to the Strawberry here." Shinji pointed at the irritated Ichigo.

Hyiori looked at him in surprise, then a relief washed around her face but a second after that Ichigo had to dodge a headbutt.

"Fuck it. I wanted to do it myself. But... since it's not some other stinking shinigami but one of us... I guess I can live with it. So where is Aizen? Wait... did you just say we're in Soul Society?" She asked with a disgusted grimace.

"Yes Hyiori-san, you were injured quite badly. If it weren't for Unohana-san you could have ... ." Hacchi paused and looked at her with pained expression which seemed to calm her down and caused her to drop her head a little.

"You know, I don't know what happened to Aizen after he was done, myself." Shinji looked at Ichigo who nodded.

"He got sealed thanks to Urahara and from what I heard, he's been kept in the lowest levels of some kind of underground prison." Ichigo replied.

"So, wanna fill me in on what happened after ... you know... after I passed out." Hyiori asked with a little shame in her voice.

Ichigo sighed and told the story about his fight with Aizen one more time. After he finished, Hyiori looked at him expectantly.

"Can you teach us how to do the Resurrección thing?"

Ichigo glanced at Shinji and shook his head.

"No, probably no. We actually talked about it just before you woke up. It seems that I can do it because my hollow was born naturally and was a part of my soul unlike yours, who were made artificially and forced into you. You'd have to accept your hollow like a part of you and merge with him. I think that's out of the question, hm?" Hyiori jerked with herself when he mentioned merging with her hollow and shook her head quickly.

"Not a chance, that bitch is not a part of me."

After that statement they just sat there and relaxed for a while but soon the silence was interrupted by Rose.

"When you first came you mentioned something about Captains meeting. Can you enlighten us a little?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, sure. They wanted to officialy thank me for my help in the winter war... and of course they wanted to know how I got enough power to defeat Aizen and from that, how I got my hollow. If it was unintentionally or otherwise. I explained all of it to them and I maaaay have criticized how they run thing here in Soul Society." Ichigo looked at them nervously.

"Wow, you actually told them that they were wrong about something? And you told it to Yamamoto? Brave... brave man..." Love whistled in respect.

"What did you criticize?" Rose asked interestedly.

"Oh you know. That they shouldn't judge someone just because of who he is and that their government is rotten and that the Rukongai stinks." Ichigo mumbled sheepishly.

Love whistled for the second time.

"You've got some balls after all." Lisa said in surprise.

'She's surprised too much.' Ichigo noted in irritation.

"Basically, you defended us?" Hacchi asked quietly making Ichigo nod curtly.

"Since the Central 46 doesn't exist right now, Yama-jii is in control of decisions and he told me to advance a message to you." Ichigo continued and noticed that they tensed a little again.

"Let's hear it then." Shinji replied.

"It's nothing bad. He's just saying that they are acknowledging the fact that they exiled you wrongly and they are offering you free stay in Soul Society, but only if you wish it. No pressure."

"Well, they can go fuck themselves." Hyiori stated instantly.

Ichigo wanted to protest but he understood their thoughts.

"It's your choice. As I said, no pressure. But since I'm forced to stay here for some time, it would be nice if you'd be here too."

"You are forced to stay?" Shinji raised his eyebrows in question.

"They think that I now have too much reiatsu and my human body probably won't be able to deal with it. I'll have to talk with Urahara-san about it, but the theory is, that my reiatsu should be given to my body in very small doses periodically and let it adjust to it. Till then, I have practically nowhere to go." Ichigo replied.

"Can't they just put a seal on you? Like they do with Captains and Lieutenants?" Love asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"They didn't mention it so I guess it's probably my hybrid nature that makes them think it won't work. I'll talk to Urahara-san just to be sure later and I'll know more."

Shinji nodded and sighed.

"Thank you Ichigo for the news. I think we have to talk about that offer more. I can't do the decision for everyone." Shinji thanked him and Ichigo was on his way when he remembered something. He braced himself and turned to Hyiori.

"I... I don't know how you'll react but Ichimaru Gin is alive and his actions will be judged by Yama-jii later this day." He saw Hyiori's face redden with rage, same as Shinji so he continued quickly.

"But before you'll go and cut him down, you have to know that he was never Aizen's pawn. He was actually planning to kill Aizen ever since they met. It has to do with Aizen doing something to Rangiku-san whom he considers as a big sister. I know that it doesn't justify his actions but just consider it. It was most likely something very grave if he held his hate for a century, just like you did. He almost succeeded in killing Aizen but as I said from in my story, the Hogyoku made Aizen almost immortal." Hyiori's face deflated a tiny little bit, but she still looked angry.

'I think I'll leave the part that I saved the Esapada who fought her.'

"Oh, and don't think I defended him. I can sympathize with him but I too think that it was too much. I never fought him so I hold practically no ill will towards him, however you do, so... give it time and don't do anything stupid Hyiori... it wasn't a happy sight seeing you like... you looked." Ichigo smiled sadly at her which seemed to deflate her anger more and she nodded to him with a small smile.

"Bye now guys."

End of chapter 3.

**That's all for now. Hope you liked it.**

**As promised, the name of the chapter 4 will be : Protector's hardships (Solutions, Revelations, Goodbyes).**


	4. Chapter 4: Protector's hardships

**It's been already a week since the last chapter, so here I'm with a new one.**

**Some of you guessed right the contents of this chapter ;)  
I must say, chapter 5 is going slowly, but I should still be on schedule.**

**Since I was bored the other day, I did something I probably should have done before I even started with this story.**

**I created an outline of few future chapter, so that I'd know the direction I want to go. Till now I just wrote. I can now say, I have created the origins of the Bleach universe (at least in my own way). It will be important in late chapters and I won't bore you with details right now. I can only say that after reading the last chapter of Bleach, I'm probably very close to what Kubo intended.**

**During the writing of some of the scenes in this chapter I found myself tearing up a little bit. I don't know if I'm too emotional or I managed to write these scenes well... I guess you'll see for yourselves.**

**Oh and one more thing... I'm discovering that I'm having problems focusing on one story. I'm thinking about a second story as a side project that I could write whenever I want to shift my focus a little bit. It would be from Narutoverse (the only other manga I know as the palm of my hand) and if you have some idea about a story you can write it in reviews or in PM. **

**I only have to say, that if I'll start this side project, it would be a loooong time till I'd put something here. (Or not, who knows.)**

**Enough of my talking, go on and read :)**

**Chapter 4 – Protector's hardships (Solutions, Revelations, Goodbyes)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"So? What do you think, Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked the eccentric shopkeeper, who wore his white bucket hat at all times.

Right after he left the Vizards in the 4th Division, Ichigo hurried through the official Senkaimon to Urahara's shop, where he met with the said shopkeeper, his assistant Tessai and the Goddess of Flash, Yoruichi. He asked them about what he heard at the Captain's meeting to find out, if it was true, that he couldn't stay in his body for a while.

Urahara for once turned serious.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with their assumptions, Kurosaki-san. It would be best however, if you actually tried to get back to your body and we'll see how will that go." Ichigo grunted in response and turned to Tessai, who was holding his human body.

Ichigo inhaled nervously and did the exact same thing he alway did when returning to his body.

For a few seconds it worked and he was in his human body grinning at Urahara, when an excruciating pain hit him. He gasped and fell on the cold floor, trashing from the pain.

Urahara and the others exchanged worried looks and when he saw a little blood trickling from Ichigo's mouth, he immediately took out his cane.

Ichigo was forcefully ejected from his body and was left on the floor, gasping and spitting blood. He opened his eyes and came face to face with worried Yoruichi.

"Shit. That hurt." He muttered and slowly sat up with Yoruichi supporting him slightly.

"Ahhh, should have seen that coming." Urahara said while scratching his head.

Ichigo shot him a dirty look. Urahara held up his hands in defense.

"I expected only a slight pain but this was little beyond that. From my experiences with you Kurosaki-san, I should have known it would be worse. It seems that your spiritual energy indeed puts your human body under incredible stress, to the point of creating internal bleeding... I think." Ichigo turned to his body alarmed and noticed that Tessai was already healing it with Kido.

'I really need to learn how to do that.'

"Kisuke... what now?" Yoruichi asked him with sad expression. She too, never wanted something like this for Ichigo.

Before Urahra attempted to say anything, Ichigo spoke up.

"When I was talking with Vizards, they mentioned some seal, put on Captains and Lieutenants when they travel to the World of the Living. It prevents them from leaking too much reiatsu. Can't it be applied on me?" He asked Urahara.

Said scientist opened his mouth and then closed them. He pondered about the idea for a while.

"Hmm, the Vizards did, huh? That means that the Captains think that it wouldn't work. Let's see. Come here Kurosaki-san." He motioned Ichigo to come with him.

They walked a little from the group and when they stopped Urahara concentrated and put his glowing hand on ichigo's chest. He started some chant that Ichigo never heard before. Ichigo saw him frown a little but then he felt a pulse of reiatsu burning him on skin and felt his senses become somewhat dull and his reiatsu being forcefully supressed.

He looked at Urahara in surprise and saw him smile with a relief.

"For a second there I thought it wouldn't work." Urahara said.

Ichigo looked at his chest and saw a little tatoo mark right below his left collarbone.

'Great, another tattoo.'

"So that's the seal huh? It feels... weird, it's as if my powers were under a heavy blanket. Now what? Since it's a success, I can now return to my body and I don't have to stay in Soul Society after all, right?" He asked with a grin, but it faded when he saw Urahra frowning.

"No... I don't think this is a permanent solution. I have a suspicion that the seal will hold for only some time. Maybe even less than an hour. When I was trying to form a seal, I could almost feel your reiatsu responding. If I'm right, it seems that since you merged with your hollow, your instincts are actively fighting the seal, rapidly weakening him even as we speak. Curious..." Urahara replied, slowly and carefully forming his words.

Ichigo's shoulders dropped in defeat. He finally received a proof that no great power was without any risks and that every action has its consequences. Ever since his merging with Sirosaki he was afraid that it would cost him something, that it won't be without sacrifices. He clenched his fists but felt a small hand rubbing his back. He turned to see Yoruichi smiling sadly.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this Ichigo. It's our fault that we weren't strong enough to fight Aizen ourselves." She put a hand on his lips when he tried to protest.

"Yes, it is our fault. But that isn't what I wanted to say. I know that it's hard and that you'll have to stay away from your family and friends for a while, but you can use that time to train, so that you could do what you want to even better. You are a protector, are you not?" She finished encouragingly and managed to create a little smile on his face.

'She's right. I can't dwell too much on this. I promised myself and Zangetsu that I'll train so that I could be strong enough to protect everyone. It's not like I won't ever see them...'

"Thank you Yoruichi-san." He thanked her and briefly hugged her, not noticing her surprise at the contact.

Urahara coughed lightly with a knowing grin.

"For now, let's wait for a few minutes and see how will the seal hold. After we determine the duration, during which the seal is holding, we can restore it and add some extra so that you'd be able to return to your body for at least this evening. Yoruichi will stay with you, so that she could restore seals while you're saying goodbyes to your family and friends." Ichigo turned to him.

"Are you sure it'll be okay? Unohana-san said that my body should be getting my reiatsu in extra small doses." Urahara pulled out his fan and waved with it pretending to be hurt.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san, you don't believe my genius?" Ichigo looked at him in disbelief and didn't even bother with an answer. Urahara placed a hand on his heart and cried a little.

"That hurts Kurosaki-san. Don't worry. The extra seals will convert your reiatsu and let it flow out of your body, not into it. It can be done only for a limited amount of time however, that's why I said it's not a permanent solution." Urahara said and they sat on the ground, waiting for the seal to break.

After almost a full hour, they felt Ichigo's reiatsu increase to where it was before applying the seal. Tessai looked at the watch.

"Fifty-two minutes boss." He informed Urahara, who wrote it down into his notepad.

"Good. Now, Kurosaki-san. Before we re-apply the seals, I need you to raise your reiatsu to your maximum output and put it into this small and completely harmless crystal cube." Urahara turned to Ichigo with an innocent looking crystal who looked at it with scepticism. He took it to his hands and looked at Urahara.

"And what is it for?"

"Ah, it will store an example of your reiatsu so that I could analyze it and then recreate it and pour it to your body periodically, so that you don't have to visit me everyday." Urahara explained happily.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows at the scientist and turned away.

"Where are you going Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked curious.

"If I'll have to raise my reiatsu as high as possible, I must go into bankai and after that my Resurrección. Not that I don't consider you strong enough but you shouldn't stand close to me." He briefly informed them and walked away for about fifty meters.

Yoruichi raised her own eyebrows and looked at Tessai and Urahara who just shrugged.

'Here goes.' Ichigo thought and raised his reiatsu.

"Ban-kai." He exploded in black and red reiatsu and formed a crater around him, from the sheer force of the reiatsu.

The trio looking from nearby widened their eyes at that. They knew that his reiatsu was raised after his merging but feeling it in person was something else.

Ichigo meanwhile concentrated on his hollow reiatsu and raised it.

**"Doom them, Lucifer."** He said in a slightly distorted voice and he was engulfed in even bigger explosion of reiatsu, now completely red in colour. Sheer raw power of his reiatsu that was swirling around him began to form cracks in nearby boulders, the crater expanded and the air itself began crackling with red sparks and as he pushed himself to the limits of his reiatsu, the small stones began floating and slowly disintegrating.

Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai were watching with wide eyes when he said his release command and suddenly they found themselves being crushed and forced on their knees, breathing heavily.

'Jesus fucking Christ, he wasn't kidding.' Yoruichi thought, trying to move.

Meanwhile Urahara started to feel the terrifying nature of ichigo's hollow reiatsu.

'This really feels scary. Kid's a monster. Look at that, his reiatsu is even destroying matter around him.' He watched the scene in disbelief.

Tessai was trying to remember if he ever felt something as heavy as this reiatsu.

Ichigo felt that he was at his maximum and carefully poured small amount of his reiatsu in the crystal, not knowing if it could contain more. When he was finished, he dropped the pressure, Resurrección, bankai and returned to his shikai. He turned to others and saw them slowly getting up. He flashed to them.

"You guys ok?" He asked in concern.

Urahara wiped sweat from his forehead and yelled gleefully.

"Of course Kurosaki-san. That was amazing. Your power level is over 9000!"

"..."

Ichigo just sweatdropped, along with Tessai and Yoruichi, who smacked the crazy shopkeeper and caused him to drop his hat, making him pout.

"That was mean Yoruichi."

"Don't pout, you look stupid." She smacked him again.

"If you want to make it till night, we should get you those seals and be on our way, Ichigo." She turned to Ichigo who nodded and walked to Urahara who began to form multiple seals on him.

"How long do you think it will take for my body to adjust, Hat'n Clogs?" Ichigo asked him seriously. Urahara frowned and made some math in his head.

"I'd say at least two or three moths Kurosaki-san in the best case scenario. While you'll be in Soul Society, I'll have Kon to attend the School for you and don't worry. I'll make him understand that he should not play around." Urahara replied.

"Great... how will I explain it to Yuzu and Karin..." Ichigoh sighed and ignored the unspoken warning.

'If three months is the best case scenario and he didn't mention the worst, it must mean ...'

"Oh? Just tell them the truth. If you don't know how, ask Isshin, he'll help you explain it." Urahara grinned and then cursed.

'Shit. I forgot that he doesn't know about Isshin... sorry old friend.'

Ichigo who was listening with half-ear froze and gasped at him.

"Y-you mean... you mean goat-chin knows about this? But... but... " No words seemed to come out of his mouth anymore as he froze in shock.

Yoruichi glared at Urahara who seemed to shrink a little under her gaze and she turned to Ichigo.

"I'm terribly sorry that you found out about it this way Ichigo. Isshin was planning to interrupt your fight with Aizen and reveal himself to you, but you held your own and therefore he didn't do it. But he still planned to tell you some things when you were going to come back, however it seems that Mr. Big Mouth here forgot about it." She glared at Urahara again who smiled apologetically.

'The. Fuck?' Was Ichigo's only thought.

* * *

"We are here Ichigo." Yoruichi said but when she didn't hear any response she turned to Ichigo and sighed.

Ever since they left the Urahara's shop and went to Kurosaki's clinic, Ichigo had been in deep thoughts. She wondered how was he cooping with that new piece of information but now it was time to confront his family. She poked him slightly in the ribs and saw as he finally looked at his surroundings in surprise.

"Huh, we're already here?"

Yoruichi sighed and nudged him to go on.

Just before he opened the doors he stopped and turned to her.

"Just in case, don't stand in front of the doors." He was hoping that his dad won't try his usual surprise kick.

He slowly opened the doors and surprisingly, no-one was in the hallway.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" He yelled and heard a few thuds as his sister came down running through the stairs.

"Ichi-nii!" They both jumped at him and hugged him.

He smiled a little and patted their heads.

"Oi oi, what got you so worked up? Where's dad?"

"I'm here Ichigo." Isshin showed himself with unusually serious face looking at Yoruichi who nodded at him.

Ichigo entangled himself from the hug and looked at his sisters.

"Karin, Yuzu, do you... can you see my guest?" He asked hesitantly and saw Karin nod in surprise.

"I... I think I see something. It's a little bit blurred but it looks like somebody with purple hair? Who is it?" Yuzu said while squinting her eyes.

Ichigo pointed at Yoruichi.

"This is Shihoin Yoruichi. She's a ... um... she's a friend, but she's not from this world. Listen, we need to sit down and talk about something." He ushered his sisters to the kitchen table, noticing the worried look in Karin's eyes as she glanced at Yoruichi.

They seated themselves around the table and Ichigo sighed.

"There is something I was keeping from you. Karin already suspects but I never gave her an honest answer. You see, it all started in the evening when our home was attacked and ... ." Ichigo steeled himself and told them everything from the beginning till the end. He told them about how he met Rukia and who she really was. He explained to them the basics of souls, hollows and shinigami. How he and Rukia worked together at cleaning the Karakura Town from hollows. How she got kidnapped and how he went to save her. He skipped through the details of his fights as he was sure that they were too young to hear something like that.

They were good listeners and soon they were gasping when he revelead that Aizen was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. He fast-forwarded to the kidnapping of Inoue and how he decided to save her too.

They were so into the story that they didn't even notice Yoruichi restoring the seals on him when it was time.

After almost an hour and half of telling his story he got to his final fight with Aizen.

"And then Urahara-san came and sealed him away. He's alive but he's being punished." Ichigo looked at his sisters and saw that Yuzu was openly crying and surprisingly, Karin was too. They stood up and hugged him again.

"That was too dangerous Onii-chan! What if something happened to you?" Yuzu was scolding him, trying to wipe away her tears. Karin was silent but she was too wiping her tears.

"Nah, I'm too cool for that. I'm actually called Hero of the Winter War now." He tried to joke and boast but instead got kicked by Karin, while Yuzu giggled a little at their antics.

He looked at them again and saw the worry in their eyes.

'This is breaking my heart... ' He thought sadly but he knew he had to tell them everything.

"You're right and... I did get hurt." He flinched when they jerked themselves and looked at him with fear.

"I... something happened to me when I was fighting. You remember when we were little and I was always trying to protect you? Well, now I have more people that I want to protect and for that I needed more power. I got it but ... it had cost me something." He swallowed and continued.

"I can't stay here, at home for some time, because that power would hurt me badly and it could hurt you too. I have to stay in Soul Society, where I can learn how to use my power properly and I can let my body adjust to the power." He hated himself for telling them this as he saw that they started to cry again.

He hugged them both.

"However, because I can't leave school, there will be someone, who will use my body to attend school. He will live here, he'll look like me but won't be me. I trust him and he's a good person. His name is Kon so be good to him. It's not like I won't ever come back, or I won't stop by sometimes, okay? Just... just don't cry please." He whispered as he felt his own tears to build up.

"But I don't want another Onii-chan. I want my Ichi-nii." Karin cried, clenching his shirt tightly.

Ichigo looked at Isshin desperately. He couldn't take any more of this. For once, Isshin understood him instantly and put a goofy smile on his face.

"Bah, forget about your stupid and delinquent brother and come to Daddy's chest!" He exclaimed and tore his shirt apart, showing them his torso.

Karin looked at him in disgust while Yuzu scolded him for badmouthing their brother.

But it worked and they at least stopped crying. Ichigo sent him a silent thank you.

"Don't worry about me girls. I'll be okay and will be getting even stronger. You just make sure to keep goat-chin here in line while I'm gone and if you ever need help with something, ask Urahara-san. Dad knows him a little so he'll show you where his shop is located. Just ... just be good okay? You won't even notice it and I'll be back." He smiled at his sisters encouragingly. They smiled a little too and after he briefly hugged them again and ruffled their heads, Isshin took them to their beds. Emotional stress was showing on them and they were getting asleep.

Ichigo meanwhile sat on the chair in the kitchen, holding his head in his palms, massaging his temples.

"Are you okay?" Yoruichi asked him. While he was telling the story, she kept herself back, to give them privacy, briefly standing behind him only when restoring seals.

She too, had some tears built up in her eyes while looking at the heart-breaking goodbye and again, she felt terrible guilt.

"Mm, I'm okay."

"Ichigo." Isshin had returned and was staring at his son with something akin to concern.

"Yeah?" Ichigo replied without raising his head.

"I take it that Kisuke managed to spill out that I know him from somewhere and you want to hear the truth. I get it, but Ichigo... I can't tell you everything. Not now." Ichigo's head shot up and glared at his father but Isshin held his gaze.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, but ... you'll understand later that information can be a dangerous tool. The less you know, the better you are. Don't worry, someday... someday soon I'll tell you everything, but right now..." He sighed and sat on the chair next to Ichigo. He looked a lot older at that moment.

"I was a shinigami Ichigo. Long time ago I was born in the afterlife. I was quite a gifted kid and I began training to be a shinigami very soon. Not long after that, I managed to get a position as a shinigami. I was being assigned to dangerous missions a lot of time. One time, when I was in the World of the Living, I got attacked by an incredibly strong hollow. As I found out later, it was one of the first experiments of Aizen." Ichigo froze at hearing the name of his foe.

'Dad even knows Aizen?... Damn that man, how far did his machinations go?'

"Yes, it was Aizen. I somehow managed to drove him back with a little help but I got injured quite badly. Your mother happened to be on the scene and she saved my life, but she too got injured. Nothing major... at least at first glance. I returned to Soul Society but I couldn't forget her face. So, I snuck out to the World of the Living again to see her, but I found her in bad shape. She got injured by the same hollow that injured me. However, she was a living human and her body got infected with something that was later identified as a hollow pathogen." Isshin grimaced when he noticed a flash of realization on Ichigo's face.

"With Kisuke's help, we managed to save her, but I had to give up my shinigami powers and live in this gigai for the rest of my life. My soul got connected with Masaki's soul and my shinigami powers that i gave up, were keeping the hollow infection on the bay. It was supposed to be like that till her death. Only then would I regain my shinigami powers. Till that day I was as powerless as human and couldn't even see ghosts. I could, however feel reiatsu. I won't bother you with details but we fell in love and soon after that, you were born." He paused and rubbed his chin.

"We were extremely happy, but ... something happened. Thanks to Kisuke, we found out that the infection transferred itself onto our little baby." He grimaced again, memories within him were flooding again.

"I... fortunately, my link to the hollow in masaki's soul was also somehow duplicated and therefore, my soul was keeping even your hollow asleep too. We fast forward to the day that Masaki died and my link to her was destroyed and my soul was now only suppressing the hollow infection in you. However, after your mother's death, you fell into depression and that's what was feeding your hollow. Because my powers were now focusing solely on you, they were enough to still suppress it. But... you met Kuchiki Rukia and you awoke the shinigami potential passed on you from me. After your training with Urahara you manifested your Zanpaktou. Even then I was able to suppress the hollow inside you that started to get his own appearance in your inner world. He was still asleep, but during your battles in Soul Society you were getting stronger and stronger every minute. In your fight with Kenpachi, your hollow finally manifested itself and in your fight with Byakuya he was awakened and gained a separate entity from your Zangetsu and your own soul. Ever since then, you were in constant struggle with it. It was that moment when he awoke, that my connection to you was completely destroyed. In that moment, I regained my powers." He looked at the stunned Ichigo.

"Do you see now Ichgio? Why was Aizen so interested in you? You are something that defies a nature, you are a living human, yet you inherited your shinigami powers along with hollow powers. You are a perfect hybrid being, capable of transcending every boundary that exists."

'Along with that... but I can't tell you that now.'

Ichigo's brain rebooted and he blinked twice.

"You... you're telling me ... I ... . Shit! What about Yuzu and Karin?" Ichigo asked in concern.

Isshin shook his head.

"The infection was passed only onto you. Urahara hypothesized that it latched onto first soul that began forming during Masaki's pregnancy. Even after you were born, the hollow was present in Masaki, but it was only a presence, it could no longer transfer to anyone else. Bottom line... we were lucky and Yuzu and Karin inherited only latent ability to manipulate reishi and see ghosts."

Ichigo let out the breath he was holding. At least his sisters were safe.

"All of this... I... I need a moment." He shook his head and dived into his mind.

He appeared in the world full of skyscrapers.

**"So... you came Ichigo." **Zangetsu said when he noticed him.

Ichigo spun around and faced him.

"Is... is it true? Shirosaki was always there?"

Zangetsu sighed and jumped from this pole.

**"As I told you many times. I was always with you and Shirosaki was always a part of me. He wasn't a separate being until the Shattered Shaft. Since then, he was getting stronger and ... well, you already know." **He blinked behind his sunglasses and walked to Ichigo and put his hand on his wielder's shoulder.

**"But Ichigo, you already accepted him. That's not what's bothering you, is it? It's the unspoken things that your father haven't told you. He left out much information, however I agree with him. It's not the time for you to know everything. Only recently you began to accept who you are. Only recently you restored your resolve. Don't haste for new information that you wouldn't be able to take in. Be satisfied with knowing that while you'll be gone, your sisters and your friends will be in good care. You didn't notice, but your father's reiatsu is strong. Very strong. He's hiding it's true nature very well but he's stronger than most of the people you've met so far." **Zangetsu told him with a serious face making Ichigo raise his head in surprise.

He stared at his zanpaktou but then smiled.

"You really know me the best Zangetsu. Yeah, it's still bugging me, but I guess you are both right. If he doesn't want to tell me, he must have his reasons and I should trust him. I'm surprised to hear that he's that strong, but I guess it's kind of ironic that my moron dad is strong." He chuckled and thanked his Zanpaktou.

As he was leaving his inner world, Zangetsu looked up in the sky.

**"Be strong for your sisters. Don't bring the rain again Ichigo. I hate the rain... ."**

Ichigo opened his eyes and came face to face with concerned Isshin. He weakly smiled at him.

"Don't worry dad. I'm not a kid anymore. I have already accepted that the hollow inside me is a part of me, so this kind of revelation is not that groundbreaking to me. However the fact that I really don't know about your past is ... well... you have your reasons and I won't press you. When you're ready and want to talk I'll listen." Isshin's concerned look morphed into a proud one and he smiled widely at him.

"I don't know how you got so mature but I'm proud of you, son. I know I haven't been a really good dad but it seems that you turned out better than I could have ever imagined." He gripped Ichigo's shoulder and wiped away a small tear from his eye.

Ichigo chuckled with embarrassment.

"Stop it dad. We both know that you had three children to raise after mum died. I think you did good. Karin and Yuzu are as happy as they can be." Ichigo reassured him but then he had to dodge a surprise punch.

"Nice reflex, son. You're right, enough with the soap opera. I'll look after Yuzu and Karin and Kon. You just concentrate on yourself for once. They will wait for you. Now go. You have one more stop to make." Isshin nodded at Yoruichi and let her take his son away.

'Go Ichigo. You need to get stronger. There are only few people who can match you with reiatsu but reiatsu itself doesn't matter if you can't control it. There is a storm brewing and you'll be a center of it ... and you have to come out of it as a winner or else... don't let me tell your sisters that they lost another important person... never again... .'

* * *

"They should be around here." Ichigo walked through the park with Yoruichi behind him.

He told his friends beforehand that they were going to meet at the edge of the Karakura's park. This was the second conversation he was not looking forward to.

Yoruichi watched him as he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. It seemed that every time he used Resurrección, his hair got longer, almost till his waist but after that he was able to shorten them with reiatsu. They were still longer that before but she told him to let them be.

'And I was right. He looks loads better. No, bad Yoruichi. You can't think that, you are his mentor, you can't let your thoughts get the better of you.' She slapped her cheeks lightly to get her annoying thoughts out of her head.

She hated to admit it, but her student was creating a place for himself in her heart.

She thanked god however, that what was she feeling was not love in a romantic sense. It was more of a bond of big sister.

'But then again... forbidden love...Goddamnit Yoruichi, you're a bad kitty.' She mentally slapped herself.

'What is wrong with me?'

She came out of her stupor when she almost bumped into Ichigo, who was, as she realized, not moving and looking firmly in front of himself. She peeked from behind him.

In front of him were sitting on the grass Orihime, Sado, Ishida, some girl she recognized as his childhood friend Tatsuki, and two boys, whom she didn't know.

Ichigo frowned.

"Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, what are you guys doing here? You were not supposed to be here." Keigo and Mizuiro looked at each other and smiled apologetically at him while Tatsuki jumped and tried tu punch him in the face, missing him by inches.

"Hey! What are you doing Tatsuki!" He yelled at her and had to dodge another punch. Yoruichi however wasn't as lucky as she wasn't looking at her and felt the full force of the punch.

She was forced to turn her head a little and looked at the girl in surprise. Ichigo meanwhile restrained his friend.

"The hell is your problem Tatsuki! You okay Yoruichi-san... wait. Did you just accidentally hit something or can you see that person, Tatsuki?" He looked down at her and stepped back from her glare.

"You come here after last time with some purple haired bimbo and you even say we are not supposed to be here? What the fuck happened to you Ichigo? You no longer consider us friends? What the fuck am I to you?" She wiped a single tear angrily and kicked him in the knee.

Ichigo flinched a little, both from the pain and her accusations. He glanced at Yoruichi and noticed that she was unharmed although little bit angered after being called 'bimbo'.

He released Tatsuki from his grip and sighed.

"Sit down." She looked at him stubbornly and he snapped.

"I said... SIT DOWN!" He yelled and released a little bit of reiatsu at her. She widened her eyes and quickly sat down.

'Dammit, the seal is weakening again. I don't remember him being so quick to anger before.' Yoruichi thought and quickly walked to him and put a hand on his chest.

Ichigo and the others raised their eyebrows.

"You sit down too Ichigo and calm down. You are releasing your reiatsu and it's weakening the seal significantly." He widened his eyes in surprise and quickly did as she told him to.

'I didn't even realize I was using reiatsu. Damn, I really have to learn how to keep my emotions under better control.'

"Sorry about that." He turned to others who were watching him with surprised eyes.

"Since you two doesn't seem to be surprised by me talking to somebody else I assume you can see Yoruichi too?" He asked Keigo and Mizuiro who nodded.

'When did this happen?'

"I see... I'll tell you the short story of what happened. But be warned, some of the things are hard to believe." He saw them nod, along with Tatsuki.

So he told them to same story he told his sisters. He got the part when Orihime was kidnapped without interruptions but after he explained to them how he decided to go and save her, Tatsuki couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"Why didn't you say that to me earlier, I could have gone too. I could have help you! I am not someone who can't protect herself. I'm better in Karate than you dammit!" She yelled at Ichigo, who was trying to calm himself, as his emotions were again threatening to overwhelm him.

"Fuck. Tatsuki ... you didn't understand any of this." He than took off his shirt, getting a full blown blush from Orihime and a slightly pink cheeks from Tatsuki.

'There he goes again with that great body... hmm and that tribal tatoo is making him look even cooler.' Yoruichi couldn't help it and nodded appreciatively.

"Wh-what are you doing, idiot." Tatsuki turned her head away.

"Look at me." Ichigo simply said and waited for her to look at him again. She was trying to avert his eyes but then she noticed, that he was pointing at his chest.

"Tell me what do you think this is?" He asked her.

"What do you ... the fuck happened to you?!" She gasped.

Ichigo was pointing at the center of his chest where a huge scar was present. It was the remnant of his fight with Ulquiorra. Even after his injuries were healed, the scar stubbornly stayed as a remainder of what happened to him. After he got back to his human body, the scar itself transferred to it, along with some other minor scars.

Others gasped too. Keigo was trying to look brave, Mizuiro was uncomfortable but Tatsuki was positively horrified. The rest of the group was handling it somewhat better, but they were too, shocked. He never showed them that scar before.

"You want to know what happened to me? I got blasted with an energy beam through my chest. It destroyed my heart, part of my lungs and part of my spine. I died. Only with sheer luck I was able to come back alive." While he explained Keigo couldn't take it and quickly ran to empty his stomach into the trash bin.

Tatsuki was just staring at him with fear and after a moment, she slid to the ground, holding her head in her hands, shaking all over her body.

Ichigo took a pity on her and kneeled in front of her. He softly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you see now Tatsuki? Do you see what kind of opponents we had to face? I know that you are strong. Exceptionally so. If I were to go against other humans, I'd let you take care of my back but that... they weren't human. Orihime was priceless to them thanks to her powers. Ishida is a Quincy as I explained and Chad has his own set of powers too. Even then I didn't want them to get involved. They shouldn't have gone through that. I care about you Tatsuki, I do very much. That's why I couldn't take you with me. I am strong. Even in that fight I had enough power to obliterate a set of houses in almost one strike, yet I was helpless against that enemy. I'm really sorry for that Tatsuki... I really am." He finished and gripped her shoulder.

She raised her head and he was surprised too even more tears. She jumped at him and hugged him, silently crying. He looked at others who were watching them uncomfortably and awkwardly patted her back.

"But that's only half of it." He let her go and finished his story with his final fight with Aizen while putting his shirt back on.

"I'd be happy to say that this is all ... but there is one more thing. Even Orihime, Ishida and Chad don't know this." He added, surprising them.

"Remember how I told you about the fight where I got that scar? Something... something happened to me." Ishida looked at him with stern look, while Orihime looked concerned.

"Go on, what can be worse than that scar?" Tatsuki said hesitantly. Ichigo clenched his fists and inhaled deeply.

"To be able to defeat Aizen, I had to get strong. I did it... I got strong but maybe too much. Only recently I found out that it brough with itself some ... side effect."

He sighed.

"I ... for some time I have to stay away from the World of the Living. I have to remain in Soul Society. It may be for two months or in the worst case scenario, forever. There is no real date. It's because I gained too much power, my human body can't cope with it and the moment I try to get back to it, it starts to break down. Even right now, I am only able to be here with help of Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san, who applied many seals on me, which have to be restored every hour. If the seals would break down without anyone, who could restore them, being here with me, I'd probably be laying here trashing in pain." He said and waited for them to understand it.

It didn't take long and they gasped in shock.

"Wha-what are you saying Ku-Ichigo?" Orihime asked with worry.

"Too much power in my soul would cause my human body to ... die." He replied honestly and saw tears forming in her eyes.

"But we found a solution. Urahara-san will get my body adjusted to my power, but it will take at least those two months. During that time I will be unable to get back into my body and that's why I'll be staying in Soul Society. However, I can't stay that long out of school so Kon will be getting my body and will use it to attend school. I can only hope that you'll make sure he stays out of problems. My dad and my sisters already know that and we said our goodbyes. I'll come here for a few times to say hello, but I'll be in my spiritual body only." Ichigo tried to reassure his friends, who were looking at the ground in sadness.

'Damnit Kurosaki... ' Ishida cursed mentally and glanced at Orihime who were looking defeated.

"Hey Tatsuki, you ok-" Ichigo tried to ask her but got interrupted when she grabbed his collar and looked at him fiercely.

"I'm okay and I think I understood it perfectly... tell me. Where is that bitch?" She surprised him with rage that was evident in her eyes.

"Who are you talking about?" He asked her confused.

'Oh boy, I think I know where this is heading...' Yorucihi thought.

"Rukia of course! If that bitch never showed her face here, none of this would happen. You'd still be Ichigo who's a punk and a normal student of Karakura High School! You wouldn't have to fight death gods, monsters and I don't know what else. Screw that! That is not your problem, nor your concern! You are human! Why can't you see that! Why?" She began pounding on him.

"If it weren't for Rukia I'd be dead along with my family!" He yelled back.

"... if it weren't for her you'd be here... with us... with me..." She said quietly and then she looked him in the eyes with determination and then absolutely shocked them.

She took his head in her hands and smashed her lips against his.

'Okaaay, didn't see that one coming.' Yoruichi thought uncomfortably.

Ichigo was so shocked he didn't dare to even move. Only after a moment he felt her tongue in his mouth and to his surprise he was automatically responding.

It took him full ten seconds to realize what was happening and when he did he blushed furiously and pulled her slightly away from him.

"T-tatsuki? Wha-what are you doing?" He stammered in alarm.

She too, was blushing furiously.

"I... I'm sorry but I needed a closure. I know that you think of me as a friend but for some time I thought that I was beginning to see you as something more. I ... if this was the last time I'd see you in a long while I needed to find out." She told him fidgeting with her clothes while the rest of the group moved back a little, since they were getting a little bit too uncomfortable.

Ichigo's brain finally comprehended the situation and he blinked.

"And?"

She smiled at him a little.

"I do like you, but only as a friend. Very close friend but nothing more."

"Oh... okay... ." He was unsure what to say to that. He was still trying to get rid of the feeling of being kissed.

"So, uhm, guys? Anything you want to talk about while we're here?" He asked the rest that came back after a moment.

"Oh oh. I want to ask. Where is that lady that was in our school for a few days. You know, that with those huge... " Keigo started to rant about some girl whom Ichigo recognized as Rangiku and thus creating a little conversation in the group.

They talked for next hour about unimportant stuff, trying to forget about the reality for a moment.

It was almost an evening when their talk ended and they said their goodbyes. Ichigo walked with them for a while and made his last goodbyes with them at the crossroads while Tatsuki was warning Keigo and Mizuiro not to tell anyone what they heard and saw that day.

"See you later guys."

"I'm sure of it Kurosaki." Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Don't worry, I'll be training and when I'll come back, I'll be able to kick your ass into oblivion Ishida." Ichigo grinned at him cheekily, making Ishida roll his eyes dramatically.

"Hm." Chad waved at him.

Ichigo turned to others and noticed that Orihime was glancing at him a little. He sighed. After what Tatsuki told him, he finally realized what Orihime wanted from him. He really didn't want to have this kind of conversation.

He quickly bid farewell to Keigo and Mizuiro and walked to her.

"Listen Orihime... come with me for a bit." He took her a few steps aways from Tatsuki, who was waiting to walk Orihime home.

"Yes? What is it Ichigo?" She asked shyly.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked directly in her eyes.

"Orihime... I'm sorry if what I think is not true, but... do you like me ?... like ... a lot?" He asked awkwardly.

She blushed deeply and looked panicked for a moment but after a while, she nodded, hiding her face behind her hands.

"I... I'm sorry Orihime. I never noticed it. This is my first time finding out something like that, so I don't know if I'm responding correctly, but I'll be honest with you. I like you a lot. However... you are like a sister to me. I care about you but there is no romantic feeling... and I think that you like me as a brother too." He smiled at her sadly when he saw her shoulders drop in defeat. When he mentioned that she liked him as a brother she raised her head in surprise.

"That's not true I... " He stopped her with shaking head.

"Orihime... you lost your big brother early. Around the same time as I lost my mother. We became friends and you probably looked up to me, because we've been through similar hurtful moments in our lives. Back then, you didn't know about my mother, but you probably felt it. When you met your brother again as a hollow... it triggered some memories and it was me who was there with you and your affection towards your brother passed onto me. I know I'm trying to rationalize it but it's how I see it. " She looked at the ground.

"I... I do like you a lot Kurosaki-kun. Maybe you're right, maybe I like you as my brother but I just simply don't know. When I see Kurosaki-kun sad, I'm sad too. When you smile, I'm happy too. I'm ... I'm confused about it ... but I'm glad that you at least told me what you feel... " Orihime said with small smile and quickly rubbed her eyes.

'I won't cry anymore.'

Ichigo looked at her and sighed. He knew that she was trying to be strong.

'Hell if somebody who I thought I was in love with, told me that she loves me like a brother I'd be probably a mess too.'

He briefly hugged her and rubbed her back a little, same as he did with Tatsuki.

"Just remember I'm here for you. I won't be for some time but if you ever need anything, contact me and I'll stop by, okay?" She smiled and let go of him.

He watched as she joined Tatsuki and they both started to walk towards their homes.

'I hope she'll be okay...'

"So? What did he want to talk about?" Tatsuki asked Orihime as soon as they were out of Ichigo's hearing distance.

"He... he told me how he feels about me." Orihime replied, shocking Tatsuki.

"Heeeh? So he finally got his balls back? Well? What did he tell you?" She asked in anticipation.

"Ah, well, he likes me ... but like a sister. He told me that I like him too as a sibling, in exchange for Sora." Orihime said with small smile.

"I'm sorry Orihime." Tatsuki gave her a short hug.

"It's okay, maybe he's right, I don't know for sure."

"Aaah, screw that. Feelings are such a drag. Who need them. I just want to see the poor gal who'll end up as Ichigo's girlfriend." Tatsuki laughed jovially.

Orihime looked at her sadly.

'I'm sorry too Tatsuki-chan. I know that you were lying to him ... '

**End of Chapter 4.**

**Now, another chapter behind us. The name of next chapter is a little bit long.  
It will be: Party for Hero (Revelations pt.2), Afterparty (Melancholy of God's believer).**

**Till next time ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: Party for Hero

**Another week behind us and it's time for a new chapter!**

**I'd like to clear something to those who aren't sure concerning the scene with Tatsuki.**

**She wanted to have a closure, since she was sure that once Ichigo'll go to Soul Society, he'll find a girlfriend and she'll be out of the picture. The kiss was meant to determine, if he felt something towards her. Since he didn't give her the reaction she wanted, she swallowed her grief and lied to him about not loving him. Ichigo is not aware of that, so he believes her words.**

**This and the last scene were meant to say, that Tatsuki and Orihime definately won't end up with Ichigo.**

**I have a thing to apologize though. I'm thinking about removing tags of Unohana and Harribel from the story overview. Not that they have no chance of ending up with Ichigo... it's just that as I'm writing the story, I found out that at this point, putting Unohana and Ichigo together would feel forced. I want my story and the relationships in it to feel natural. I don't want anything that feels forced. Right now, I'm not sure.**

**You may think anything after reading this chapter, but don't judge too quickly ;)**

**You can read now :)**

**Chapter 5 – Party for Hero(Revelations pt.2, Melancholy of God's believer)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"Say, Kurosaki, could we talk for a moment? In my office?" Toshiro Hitsugaya asked Ichigo, who only recently came back from the World of the Living.

Said person raised one of his eyebrows in surprise and shortly nodded. He followed the young Captain into 10th Division Barracks.

White-haired prodigy sat down on his chair and motioned Ichigo to do the same.

"Sooo, what is it Toshiro?" Ichigo asked curiously and smirked when he noticed a tick mark on Toshiro's head.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya damnit... listen Kurosaki, does the name Hinamori Momo ring any bells for you?" Ichigo squinted a little, trying to remember.

'I swear I heard it some- ... oh.' He suddenly remembered.

"Yeah, she was Aizen's Lieutenant in his Division, right?" He asked Toshiro with a frown.

The Captain nodded and rubbed his temples.

"You see Kurosaki... she was very loyal to him and believed to the final moment that Aizen wasn't a traitor. He hurt her Kurosaki... he hurt her cruelly. Physically and emotionally. Because of Aizen, I myself... " He gripped the table in front of him tightly.

"In the fight against Aizen I was under Aizen's illusion and I stabbed her Kurosaki... She's still in 4th trying to recover but I just know that she's a wreck. I want to help her, to shield her from the pain she's in... but ever since that incident, I couldn't even look at her without feeling guilty." He went silent, giving Ichigo a moment to digest this information.

Ichigo was listening to him in a little shock and he felt bad for the young shinigami in front of him.

'You really did fuck things up Aizen. Poor Toshiro, I can't even begin to understand what he must have felt ... .'

"Kuro-... Ichigo." Toshiro continued and Ichigo looked at him in surprise. Toshiro never used his first name before.

"You were the last person who fought Aizen. Somehow I think, that you understood him better than any of us ever did. Most importantly... you are a good person and I want to ask you a personal favor." He inhaled deeply and looked Ichigo in the eyes.

"I need you to help Momo, Ichigo. She's the most important person to me in whole Soul Society. I can't bear to watch her suffering, but I can't help her either. Help her get better. Help her to get over Aizen. When she'll wake up, she'll be depressed. Talk to her, be there for her. I will do anything in return... just name it." He stared at Ichigo with pleading eyes, who couldn't help but feel a small tear forming in his eye.

'He... '

Ichigo smiled at him a little.

"I can try. I only wish one thing in return." Toshiro raised his eyebrow and prepared himself for anything.

"Just be my friend, Toshiro." Ichigo replied and truly shocked Toshiro, who couldn't help it and felt a small tear too.

'I was never more right than now. He truly is a great person.'

"Of course... Ichigo. But I'd still like to ask you to call me Captain at least in front of my peers... it... helps me maintain the respect people have for me." Ichigo shortly nodded and shook his hand.

"I have one question though... I hope you don't mind. You don't even have to answer." Toshiro looked at him puzzled.

"Do you love her?" Ichigo asked simply and watched as icy Captain became red as a tomato and started to stutter.

"Wha-wha-what are you talking about?!" Ichigo waited for a moment and gave him time to cool off.

Toshiro dropped his shoulder in defeat and looked at the ground.

"I... I'm not sure, but yeah, I probably do... at least I think it's love, it's just... complicated. Just... just please don't mention it to anyone else. Especially Matsumoto." He gulped at the thought of his Lieutenant in possession of this information. Ichigo mentally agreed with him. If there was anyone in Seiretei, who was bad with secrets, it was the Lieutenant of 10th Division.

"You got it. So... when do you think that Hinamori-san will wake up?"

Toshiro frowned.

"Well, I hope as soon as possible. You can try to visit her tomorrow. I... I will be training, since right now, I'm not strong enough to protect her." He replied and Ichigo only nodded.

He knew that feeling very well.

"But now is the time that I should pass a message from Matsumoto, who says, that the party for the Hero of the Winter War will be in 8th Division barracks." Toshiro said, smirking slightly at Ichigo's new title.

Ichigo grimaced a little.

"You're not going?"

Toshiro nodded.

"I'll go, but I need to finish my paperwork first. I should be there in an hour." Ichigo sighed and slowly left.

When Ichigo went outside of the office, Toshiro sighed and held his head in his hands.

"Momo..., please let him help you... "

* * *

Ichigo was walking down the streets of Seiretei when he realized something.

'Isn't the 8th Division led by Kyoraku-san?' He mentally slapped himself.

'Of course it is. Who'd be a better host for a party if not someone like him.'

He shook his head.

Loud music was a beacon for him, as he was trying to find his way to the party.

Ichigo thought of himself as a quite the courageous person, but right then, he wasn't feeling very brave. If the voices were any indication, there was already a huge group of people completely wasted. He hoped, that he would end up differently.

He would remember that thought next morning.

'The. Fuck?' Was his only thought when he entered the barracks, which were redesigned to host a party.

There was such a mass of bodies present, that he was almost certain that the whole Soul Society came that night. Most of them were unknown to him, since they were only non-seated or seated officers.

From the few short glances around him, he noticed that from the Captains and Lieutenants he knew, most of them were already here.

It was after somebody noticed Ichigo standing in front of the doors, that the shouting began.

"It's him!"

"It's the Hero of the Winter War!"

"Aw man, look at that zanpaktou. No wonder he kicks ass."

"He's cuuuute, kyaaa!"

It was the last statement that startled Ichigo and woke him up from his stupor. But it was already late, as he was surrounded by his many fans, who were trying to get his attention.

He came face to face with women with stars in their eyes, who managed to fight their way through the crowd and were now screaming with joy at being so close to him.

Men were pushed back a little, but they were too trying to get his attention and they wanted him to tell them the story about his victory.

Ichigo was at a loss of words. Back in the World of the Living, he went few times at the concerts and watched from afar as the singers were jumped by their fans. He always laughed at them.

Now he was taking his actions back.

'Really. What the actual fuck?'

He jumped a little when he felt someone pinching his butt cheeks and flushed a little.

Trying to turn around, he came face to face with another woman, who jumped at him and hugged him.

"Take me, Hero of the Winter War. Take me and ravish me!"

Ichigo gaped at the woman and shuddered. This was getting out of hands.

'Is this really happening?'

When he felt his butt being not pinched but even slapped, he decided that it was really enough and he tried to flash-step away.

He partially succeeded as he heard sad voices calling him back, but he bumped into another person in the process.

"Ow, sorry ... Rukia?" He looked down and saw the petite shinigami getting up, glaring at him a little.

"Damnit Ichigo, what are you made from... you're late." Rukia accused him.

"Yeah, yeah, Tosh... I mean, Captain Hitsugaya wanted to talk. Come quickly, we need to get to the others or I'll get jumped on again... I swear these women are crazy... " Ichigo muttered and led her to the bar, where he caught a glimpse of Renji and some other people.

Rukia looked at him in surprise. She never heard him calling the young captain in a formal way.

She however, soon forgot about that when she heard the rest of his sentence.

'More women! I think I need a drink. Maybe it'll make my mouth looser.'

Ichigo saw her quiet down but said nothing as they walked towards the bar.

"Ichigoooo, there you are. Come, drink." Renji welcomed him and gave him a glass full of some liquid. Ichigo frowned and protested.

"Hey Renji. I'm sorry but I already told Rangiku-san that I-"

"That you'll drink only beer, nothing stronger, right?" Ichigo shuddered when he felt hot breath of Rangiku on his ear. He quickly turned his head and nodded. She pointed at his glass.

"Well, Abarai-kun gave you exactly that." She winked at him.

Ichigo facepalmed when he realized that Renji was already a little bit drunk and trying to get a view of Rangiku's cleavage.

"Ichigo-kun, my boy! How are you this glorious day?" Jovial voice of Kyoraku greeted him from behind.

'Is everyone already drunk?'

"Hello, Kyoraku-san. Well, I'm ... ah, screw it, I had better days. I had to say goodbyes to my family and my friends, so you know... " His words sobered those around him a little.

"You know what helps? Drink!" Ikkaku yelled and raised his own glass.

Ichigo looked at the liquid in his glass with suspicion. Seeing nothing fishy he shrugged and gulped the contents down. He coughed a little, but he haven't felt a burn in his throat.

'Huh, I guess they really did gave me only a beer.'

"Since you're drinking a beer, you'll need more of that stuff to drown this crappy day." Rangiku winked at him again and turned to the bar so that she could order him another.

Ichigo sighed.

'I should have known, that it wouldn't end just with one beer.'

**'And it's a good thing that there will be more of it.'**

He jumped in surprise.

'Zangetsu? Oh man, don't do that. What do you mean, it's a good thing?'

Zangetsu send him an image of him amused.

**'Ichigo, it's over for now. There is peace and you don't have to fight for your survival. You should relax a little. I know that it must sound wierd, coming from me, but trust me. Your mind needs something to numb it. Drink. You'll probably feel bad in the morning, but I somehow think that it'll be worth it.'**

Ichigo raised his eyebrow. It was indeed weird for his zanpaktou to say something like that.

'I guess I could relax... but I still won't drink anything stronger than beer.'

**'As I would expect from you. We'll talk again soon, Ichigo.'** Zangetsu said and withdrew to Ichigo's inner world.

Ichigo shook his head to clear his thoughts. He looked up and noticed that Rangiku was watching him intently and when she caught his eyes, she gave him a thumbs up and climbed on top of one of the tables.

She whistled loud enough for everyone to notice her and raised her glass.

"Everyone! It's finally time to raise your glass for the Hero of the Winter War, Kurosaki Ichigo, without whom we probably wouldn't be standing here right now." She turned her head to Ichigo and grinned at his embarrassment.

"Kanpai!" She yelled and poured the drink into her mouth.

"KANPAI!" Everyone else yelled and they drank their drinks too.

At that moment a loud music started to play with a new vigor and even louder than before.

"Come on Ichigo, you should meet and get to know others too!" Rangiku exclaimed and took Ichigo's arm, dragging him across the barracks, to meet every Lieutenant present at the party.

* * *

"And after ... after she kissed me... get it? That frigging tomboy actually kissed me... and she said that she wanted to... erm... what was it? She wanted to find out if she was into me... " Ichigo was feeling little bit dizzy as he was telling the group the incident with Tatsuki that happened when he was saying goodbyes to his friends.

The group now consisted mainly of other Lieutenants. After Rangiku dragged him along with her, he met Hisagi Shuhei, Kira Izuru, Nanao Ise, who followed her Captain everywhere, keeping an eye on him, Kyione Kotetsu and everyone from before.

"Wow, poor girl, she must have been confused for a long time to do something like that." Nanao commented with pink cheeks from the alcohol.

"I'm just surprised that the Strawberry didn't take his legs and run away as fast as he could." Renji snickered from Ichigo's right, sipping from his glass.

Ichigo glared at him and once again, missed the dark look that crossed Rukia's face.

"And? What did she find out?" Kira asked curiously. He found Ichigo's story quite interesting and he almost shed a tear, when Ichigo talked about his sisters.

"What did she find out? Of course she's into him and tried to shag him!" Rangiku exclaimed and giggled at her own shamelessness.

"No! Of course not!" Ichigo yelled scandalized as Nanao vigorously nodded and glared at Rangiku, who only giggled more.

"If the way he's telling the story any indication, she probably found out something different." Hisagi commented and swayed a little on his feet when he tried to stand up.

"Yeah, like Hisagi-san said. She told me, that I'm like her best friend. Maybe ... maybe even closer, but not like boyfriend or whatever." Ichigo confirmed.

"Most beautiful way of finding out where your heart stands." Yumichika sighed next to Ikkaku who only rolled his eyes and drank another shot of saké.

"Yeah well, she almost gave me a hear attack. I mean, what is wrong with women? I don't remember them being so ... very friendly with me before." Ichigo shook his head and missed how the others dropped on the ground comically.

"It's because you're now a Hero of the Winter War, defeated Aizen and his Espada, not to mention you look damn good for a brat." A slightly amused voice surprised them.

Ichigo quickly turned around and found himself tightly gripped around his neck, with his face in something warm and soft. He instantly recognized the voice.

"K-k-k-kukaku-san?" He asked in surprise.

"Yo brat. How cheeky of you to not visit me in such a long time, don't you think?" She asked and grinned evilly at him.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I..." After a few long seconds he realized just where his face was and he blushed.

He pushed himself from her breasts.

"Wha-what are you doing damnit. " He asked, trying to regain some of his dignity.

"Well, from the looks of it, I'm giving your friends a show." She replied with her arms at her hips, making him turn his head to see that most of his male companions were holding their noses, so that they wouldn't bleed.

"I think you should introduce her, Ichigo."

Ichigo jerked himself at another voice.

"Yoruichi-san? You're here too?" Said person came from behind Kukaku and waved at him.

"Yo. Yes, I dragged Kukaku along, since she whined that she wanted to see you." She smirked when a tick mark appeared on Kukaku's head.

"I didn't whine damnit."

Ichigo shook his head and coughed a little. He turned to the group and pointed at Kukaku.

"Guys, this is Kukaku Shiba... ehm... a master of fireworks?" He glanced nervously at her. The fierce woman gave him thumbs up and sat on the free chair.

He glanced at his friends and noticed that they were almost drooling while staring at her.

'Bunch of horny bastards. I should probably warn them about her ... personality buuuut I guess that they should learn that the hard way.' Ichigo mentally grinned and pointed at Yoruichi.

"Well, I think that most of you should already know this one. This is Yoruichi Shihoin, the cat of the devil." He ducked under her swipe, but he couldn't evade her jump.

"And don't forget to add, the first woman, whom you saw naked, Ichigo-kuuun, don't forget that." She grinned evilly and licked his ear, which earned him a few shocked gasps and few nosebleeds.

Ichigo spit his beer around himself.

"Yoruichi-san!" He yelled nervously.

"That's indecent!" Nanao scolded her.

Yoruichi just grinned and looked at her.

"Oh come on, don't try and tell me that you never wanted to play with this orange-haired sex-idol."

Ichigo's face became beet red and he wanted to shut her up, but no words came out of his mouth, so he just sat there gaping like a fish. He wasn't alone however, as Nanao did the same thing.

"My Nanao-chan has grown up! I'm so proud!" Kyoraku exclaimed and raised his glass in celebration, only to get bumped on his head, courtesy of his Lieutenant.

"Sh-shut up, I never confirmed that... that... that ridiculously indecent thought!" She stuck her nose upwards and crossed her arms, which only got her chuckles.

Meanwhile, Ichigo finally found his voice, but was interrupted by polite voice.

"How is everyone this lovely evening?" Unohana appeared next to their table, surprising them with her stealth approach.

Ichigo glanced at her and immediately flushed when he remembered that incident in 4th Division barracks, almost two days ago.

"Oh, Retsu, never thought I'd see you here." Kyoraku said in surprise, but gulped when she turned to him with her smile still present on her face.

"Oh, Shunsui, didn't see you there. I couldn't refuse to drink to our Hero, could I now? But I'm afraid that that's all. I still have some patients that need to be taken care of." She turned to ichigo and he noticed that her cheeks were little pink.

'Oh god, she remembered it too or worse... she's drunk.'

"Speaking of our Hero and he's here. I hope that you won't be drinking heavily tonight, Kurosaki-san. If you had to stay another night in 4th division... it would be such a ... shame." She whispered the last word to Ichigo's ear, getting raised eyebrows from few people.

"Heeeh, Unohana? It almost looks like something happened between you and Ichigo." Yoruichi laughed at her own joke, but even she gulped when Unohana turned to her.

"Shihoin-san, what a pleasure. I'm sorry, but it almost sounded like you were trying to accuse me of something? I'm sure I must have misheard you, right?" When Yoruichi remained silent, she approached her and from a smaller distance she asked her again.

"Right?" Yoruichi just quickly nodded and they all watched as Unohana slowly walked away, smiling all the way.

Unohana stopped after few steps and tilted her head a little.

"By the way... even if something happened, I don't think it would be your business, wouldn't it, Shihoin-san?" She said and left Yoruichi with slightly widened eyes.

All faces turned to Ichigo, who shook his head.

"You don't wanna know... trust me." He said with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Ichigo! Don't tell me you lost your virginity to her!" Yoruichi asked terrified.

"..."

"Yoruichi-san... I get it that you like to tease... but I'm warning you... you will pay for that." Ichigo grinned evilly and started to get up, only for her to push Kukaku on his lap and flash-step away, laughing maniacally.

"What the... damn cat!" Kukaku cursed, but made no attempt to move herself from Ichigo's lap. Instead she made herself comfortable and grabbed another drink.

"Oi, that's no fair Ichigo, you're taking all the hot ones!" Renji yelled in irritation and Ikkaku only nodded in agreement.

'Ah, youth.' Kyoraku thought and poured himself another shot.

"Too bad brats. You don't look bad, but I'm sorry to inform you, that there's no way in hell you'd get this." Kukaku laughed, pointing at herself.

"Uhm... Kukaku-san? Do you think you could move?" Ichigo asked cautiously. He still remembered her temperament from their first meeting. It wasn't like he didn't think he could handle her, but given circumstances...

She turned to him so that he had to raise his head, or else his face would end in her breasts again.

"No." She simply said and turned to the table, leaving him sputtering and blushing.

It was this scene that Rangiku returned to with another round of drinks. When she noticed Kukaku and Ichigo in their position, she squealed happily and jumped to them.

"Oooh, someone is already teaching Ichigo-kun how to be a man? Aww poo and I wanted to be the one." She pouted and gave the still blushing Ichigo his next beer.

"Rangiku-san! ... ah, what is it with women... " He sighed in defeat.

"You mean, I'm not good enough to be sitting on you?" Kukaku asked with lightning in her eyes. Ichigo widened his eyes and shook his head vehemently.

"No, no, no ... oi, you're just screwing with me, aren't you?" He asked her irritated.

She just grinned and tilted her head to his ear.

"We're not doing that ... yet." She whispered to him and overloaded his brain.

'Seriously, what is it with women these days. They are treating me completely different.'

**'Ichigo...' **Zangetsu made himself known again.

'Yeah?'

**'I still forget how young you are. You clearly don't understand the fact that most women are drawn to strong and confident men, who radiate a special aura of security and kindness around them. Don't forget that you are a saviour to them. That helps too. Judging objectively... you are good-looking too.' **Zangetsu replied, further shocking Ichigo.

'What? Where do you get these thoughts from?'

Zangetsu only shook his head.

**'Don't worry Ichigo and just go with the flow... '** His voice faded and Ichigo found himself face to face with slightly angry Rukia, who was staring at him for the past hour, without him noticing. Her glare only intensified itself when Kukaku landed on his lap.

"What is it Rukia?" He asked quietly, trying not to draw attention.

"We need to talk." She replied and stood up.

He watched her pointing to the dark corner , so he excused himself from the table and followed her.

Kukaku watched them leave and sighed.

Up in the trees, Yoruichi grinned.

'Finally, this will be fun.'

* * *

"So? Are you going to tell me what is it?" Ichigo asked Rukia, who was shuffling her feet nervously.

She looked up at him and gulped.

"Ichigo... I... " He watched her go silent for a few seconds, then start again.

"Are you aware of the fact that Tatsuki-san isn't the only girl around you that has some feelings towards you?" She asked quietly.

Ichigo scratched his head.

"Yeah." Her head jerked upwards instantly.

"I... I mean, I realized that Orihime feels something. Actually, after that incident with Tatsuki, I talked to her. She admitted that she loves me, however, I explained to her, that I love her too, but like my third sister. Nothing more. She... I tried to tell her, that she loves me as a big brother, but I don't know if I was tactful. It's just... after Tatsuki told me about her feelings, I just knew that since Orihime feels something, it would be best if we talked about it before my departure." He sighed and waited for her reply.

"I... I honestly didn't think you'd notice. So, is that the reason why you decided to save her from Hueco Mundo?"

"Well, partly yeah." He frowned.

'Where is she going with this?'

"If I may ask... why did you try to save me from execution? I know that you said it was because you were in my debt, for giving you a opportuninty to save your family... but is that all?" She asked nervously.

"Uhm, pretty much. I mean, during those few months we were hunting hollows together I kinda got used to you and when you were taken by Byakuya, I already considered you as one of my friends and I can't just leave my friend to die. Even if it would be the last thing I'd do."

"What about your family? If you died during my rescue?" She pressed.

Ichigo frowned again.

'I'm missing something.'

"But I didn't. Look, Rukia. I'm not going to apologize for that. I'd gladly put my life on line for you, but I was confident I'd be able to save you with my life intact."

Rukia sighed, this conversation wasn't going the was she wanted to.

"Do... do you even realize what does that mean to me?"

He shook his head.

'Damnit, he's forcing me to say it directly!' Rukia thought angrily.

She took out a small bottle with a pure liquid inside it and gulped it down in one turn. Ichigo raised his eyebrows at that but remained silent.

"That you would sacrifice yourself for me... Ichigo... I... " She inhaled deeply and looked him in the eyes, suddenly swaying a little.

"I think I'm in love with you."

"..."

"Eh?" Was the only noise Ichigo made.

Up in the trees, Yoruichi didn't dare to move.

Rukia clenched her fists.

"I'm saying I'm in love with you, say something damnit."

"... I, I'm just, ummm... "

'No fucking way. Rukia?' He thought and tried to say something but he couldn't form any words.

Said person was blushing profusely but since Ichigo wasn't moving, she decided to repeat after Tatsuki and grabbed him around his collar and rammed her tongue into his mouth.

'Really... what is it with women these days?' Was Ichigo's only thought, as he was too shocked to even move.

'Well... it was fun but it's unpleasant now.' Yoruichi thought in irritation and jumped from the tree ...

* * *

It was a beautiful morning in Seiretei. In 4th Division the patients were getting final treatments for the injuries they received in Winter War, in 2nd Division Captain Sui-Feng was already whipping her recruits to do more training and in 10th Division Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro was finishing his paperwork. He left some of it unfinished, as he went to look to the party, that happened the night before.

In 8th Division barracks, many previously unconscious people, were getting up with terrible hangover.

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, Kurosaki Ichigo, the subject of the last night party, was waking up, discovering, that he hated alcohol.

"Urgh, damn, my head hurts." He opened his eyes, but quickly closed them. There was too much sunlight in the room and his eyes were too sensitive.

"What the hell happened last night? I can only remember the beginning..." He clutched his head with his both hands.

"Weeell, you got pretty drunk, Ichigo-kuun."

He jerked his head up and flinched when a sharp pain shot through his skull. He blinked and noticed a black cat sitting on his chest.

"Yoruichi-san? What the hell... what happened? I... " He took notice of his surroundings and widened his eyes.

"Where the fuck are we?" He tried to stand up but small explosion halted his attempt.

Suddenly, he felt more weight on his chest. As the smoke cleared, he blushed and closed his eyes.

"Damnit Yoruichi-san. At least don't do that in the morning!" He exclaimed when a completely naked Yoruichi lied on him.

She grinned deviously and closed on him, letting her breasts fall on his chest.

"Aww, don't be mean now. You don't like it?" She asked huskily and rubbed herself on him a little.

His eyes widened.

"Jesus woman! Have you no shame?" He blushed and tried to break free from her grip.

Yoruichi shifted herself and suddenly grinned even more.

"Ohh, is it just regular morning or are you so happy to see me?" She whispered and let her thighs to get entangled with his.

Ichigo quickly realized what she meant by that, and when their legs touched he flinched and tried to push her away. He propped himself on the bed, but then he felt something soft and squishy under his right palm.

He gave it a light grip and when he heard a small moan he froze with a feeling of dread.

'Oh boy... don't tell me... '

"You're so loud in the morning." Came a tired voice of Kukaku from his right.

Ichigo turned his head slightly and blushed more.

"K-kukaku-san?...what...what is going on for fuck's sake!" He exclaimed, finally waking Kukaku up.

She propped herself on the bed and yawned.

"Shut uuup. You're too lou... loud?" When she realized the situation she was in at last, she blinked and looked down.

Her face flushed and she grabbed the blanked and quickly covered herself. She glared at Ichigo who held his hands up.

"I'm sorry!" He sputtered and averted his eyes.

Kukaku wildly looked away from his eyes and noticed Yoruichi, who, unlike her, made no attempt to cover herself and remained lying on Ichigo.

"Yoruichi... you better start explaining what is going on. How in the hell did we end up in my bed!?" She yelled, making Ichigo finally find out, just where he was.

'We're in Shiba's house? Thank god Ganju isn't here. Wait. I should be more worried about why am I here!'

Yoruichi wanted to tease them more, but decided to spare them.

"Well, after Rukia confessed to Ichigo here... " Ichigo's eyes shot up and he looked at her in surprise.

"When did... wait, I remember!" He said and then sighed. He was going to have unpleasant conversation with yet another woman.

"Continue." Kukaku said with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I don't know what Rukia drank just a moment before confessing, but it quickly overwhelmed her, and after few second of kissing the hot-shot, she fainted. Some of it must have been in her mouth and since she stuck her tongue in Ichigo's throat he drank some of it himself and it left him a bit drunk."

Ichigo raised his eyebrow along with Kukaku.

'I don't remember that.'

"I took Rukia to her barracks and left her to sleep it off and then me and Ichigo returned to others and we drank more. It's a bit hazy to me too, but you started to get too drunk, so Kukaku and I took you here aaaand well... maybe someone mentioned that we should sleep together just in case." Yoruichi smirked with no embarrassment on her face whatsoever.

"Eeeeh?" Ichigo reacted in surprise.

Kukaku was breathing heavily, trying to calm herself. Yoruichi rolled her eyes.

"OH come on! Nobody lost their virginity, we just snogged a little that's all... " She snickered when Ichigo and Kukaku both jerked their heads towards her in shock.

"We... did what? You mean... I... with both of you... ?" Ichigo managed to say.

Kukaku's mouth twitched in anger with a blush on her cheeks, as she glared at Yoruichi, who shook her head in amusement.

"You're such prudes. You're only cousins, so it does not count as inc- " She didn't finish as Kukaku grabbed her.

"We are what?!" Kukaku yelled at her.

Yoruichi looked at ichigo in surprise.

"Why are you so surprised? Didn't Isshin told you... " She widened her eyes when she realized her mistake.

'Shit. He only said he was a shinigami. He never mentioned Shiba's... damn, I'm as bad as Kisuke...'

"Wait wait wait, you are telling me that we're family?" Ichigo gasped and pointed his shaking finger at Kukaku, who was at loss of words.

"Umm... yeah?" Yoruichiy admitted nervously.

"Uncle Isshin is alive?" Kukaku asked with tears in her eyes, surprising Ichigo.

"Goat-chin is really your uncle?" He asked and he was suddenly crushed by a bone-breaking hug, courtesy of Kukaku, who was crying and hugging the life out of him.

"I'm so happy... I thought I lost almost my whole family..." Ichigo's eyes softened and he hugged her back. But he quickly had to dodge a swipe at his chin.

"That damn bastard! How could he not say anything! If I knew you were a family, I could have helped you more, when we first met." Kukaku raised her shaking fist and growled. She then turned to Yoruichi, who was slowly trying to get away.

"And you! You ... damn pussycat! You knew about this the whole time and yet you were silent! Do you know how bad I had it when they told me that uncle died during his mission!" Yoruichi smiled nervously and tried to calm Kukaku down.

"Come on Kuka-chan. You know that I'd tell you if it was my decision. Isshin himself didn't want anyone to know. He's aware that he messed up, but if you knew some things about him, you could have faced execution along with him." She reasoned, when she saw that Kukaku was still deciding whether to smack her down or not.

"He never told even me... his own son, so I know how you must feel." Ichigo tried to calm her down too.

He was too, a little bit shaken about this revelation.

'When I think about it, I should have realized it from the signs... my similiar appearance to their dead brother, me butting head with Ganju as soon as we met... crazy temperament of Kukaku... goat-chin craziness exactly fits this family... '

"I know, it's just... " Kukaku said, wiping away her tears. She looked at herself and sighed.

"We should clean ourselves. I want to know more about Isshin and your family. And Yoruichi, don't tell anyone about what happened last night, or else I'll take my fireworks and you'll be shooting them from your precious ass." She threatened Yoruichi, who only laughed nervously.

'Damn right... to think that the first time I end up practically naked with a woman in a bed would be with my cousin...' Ichigo groaned.

After they cleaned up and got dressed, Ichigo and Yoruichi joined Kukaku in her lounge and sat down in front of her.

She offered them some tea, as she herself wasn't feeling too good and the sight of saké evoked a gag reflex in her.

"So, tell me everything. I hear that you have two little sisters. I'd love to see them someday. Start at the first thing you remember." She smiled uncharacteristically softly at him and motioned him to start.

Ichgio sighed, it was the third or fourth time in two days, that he was going to tell someone his stroy, but this time, it was going to be even longer.

So he started when he was little and when he was already protecting his sisters from bullies or anything else. She saw him smile fondly, when he mentioned his mother. It didn't take long however, when she gasped, as he told her how she died in that rainy evening.

She was happy however, that he managed to forgive himself for that incident.

He told her stories about him fighting against the idiots, who considered his orange hair weird. How he had to live through the fact, that most of the people considered him to be a deliquent.

It took him almost two hours till he got to the night, when he met Rukia and from that point, his story took fast pace.

He described his fight in Soul Society in more details, as he already mentioned them shortly during his stay after he rescued Rukia. Then Orihime got taken and not so long after that, he managed to defeat Aizen.

She bumped him on the head for trying to save everyone, but deep down, she was incredibly proud of him. He ended his story with how he found out about him not being able to return to his human bod, his goodbyes to family and friends.

'So young, yet so much weight is already on his shoulders.' Kukaku smiled sadly and hugged him again.

"I'm still angry at you Yoruichi, but on the other hand I'm very happy that I found my cousin. I understand that if uncle haven't told anyone about him he must have his reasons, but I still don't like it. With him, we could raise Shiba's clan reputation and we could be again one of the Noble clans. I won't press him, but I won't wait forever. Tell him that."

She turned to Ichigo again and sipped her tea.

"Now, I'm sure you know nothing about this side of your family, the Shiba's. We were once one of Noble families..."

Ichigo shifted himself to comfortable position, as he was sure this would be at least as long as his story.

* * *

It was almost evening, when Kukaku finally finished talking about the Shiba's and Ichigo's head was almost ringing with too much information. As he was on his way out, his newfound cousin convinced him to stay at her household during his forced leave from the World of the Living. She wouldn't hear about him staying anywhere else.

He wouldn't admit it, but Ichigo was grateful to her. At first he was afraid that he wouldn't have anywhere to stay but after witnessing the party, his concerns took a one hundred and eighty degrees turn and made him actually worried about being snatched away by some fan.

He left Yoruichi with Kukaku, since they wanted to catch up a little too. While he was walking towards the Seiretei and trying to feel the light breeze blowing around him, he remembered that he wanted to talk to Rukia about her confession.

'She really did surprise me. I never got the feeling that she felt that way. At least with Orihime it was quite obvious, now that I think about it. But Rukia? No... '

**'To be honest Ichigo, she did share with you her spiritual powers and for the short time, you were using her zanpaktou, however in sealed state. It can easily create a strong bond.' **Zangetsu surprised him with his insight and made Ichigo stop for a second and sigh.

'I... I guess I can understand... wait. I was using her Sode no Shirayuki?' He wondered.

**'Yes, but most of the time she was asleep as she wasn't a part of your soul and you had no idea how to wake her up. She was quite a beautiful lady.' **Zangetsu admitted and Ichigo grinned.

'Eh, what's this Zangetsu, you're noticing women? Apocalypse must be coming.' He thought cheekily.

Zangetsu only snorted in amusement.

**'The pot calling the kettle black, Ichigo?'**

'Touché.'

Ichigo shook his head with a small smile. Ever since he merged with Shirosaki and made his promise with Zangetsu, their relationship was getting better every day.

After a few minutes of walking, he reached the 13th Division barracks. He stopped a random shinigami inside and asked him about Rukia. The seated officer gasped when he noticed who was talking to him and immediately bowed.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-sama, but Lieutenant Kuchiki took a free day and is spending her time with Captain Kuchiki in Kuchiki manor."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and frowned.

"It's okay, and you can call me Ichigo, I don't really care for honorifics." Man in front of him gasped and nodded furiously, then quickly disappeared.

'Really, what am I? A celebrity?'

He scratched his chin and thought about his next course of action.

'I could always try and go to the manor and call her out, but something tells me, that I don't want to disturb her time with Byakuya. I don't know how close they got after Aizen defected but if she already told him that she confessed... I'm really in no mood for Senbonzakura.'

Suddenly, an image of Toshiro appeared in his mind.

'Oh right. I promised Toshiro I'd stop by 4th and visit Hinamori-san.'

He turned in the right direction and prayed that he wouldn't meet the 4th Division Captain.

"Good evening, Kurosaki-san." Kind voice of Unohana Retsu welcomed Ichigo in the 4th Division barracks.

'And that's why we can't have nice things... ' Ichigo thought bitterly and tried to stay focused.

"Ah, hello Unohana-san. Could you tell me where is the room of Hinamori Momo?" Ichigo asked her nervously. Unohana frowned and her smile disappeared.

"Why would you want to know that, Kurosaki-san?" She asked seriously.

Ichigo shifted his feet.

"Well, Tosh-, I mean, Captain Hitsugaya wanted me to visit her and try talking to her. He's convinced, that she needs someone, who could understand her and going by his words, he's not worthy in this moment." Unohana's face lit up a little and warmth filled her eyes.

"Yes, that's very thoughtful of Captain Hitsugaya. Follow me, Kurosaki-san."

She led him through the barracks to the end of the long hallway. Ichigo noticed the sign 'Intensive care' on the doors that she was pointing at.

"You can find her inside. She woke up just few hours ago and she's ... rather depressed after she got the news about the war." Unohana smiled sadly and motioned him to go in.

First thing he noticed, when he walked inside the room, was the oppressive atmosphere radiating from the bed, where a small figure lied, curled in the ball, crying silently.

He slowly walked to the free chair next to the bed and sat down, waiting for her to notice him. As he sat down, her eyes opened and she turned her head towards her visitor.

When she realized who it was, her eyes widened in fear and she crawled back under her blanket.

"Do you know who I am, Hinamori-san?" Ichigo asked quietly, concerned with her initial reaction.

She nodded and pointed at him with shaking finger.

"Are you here to kill me as well?" She asked in terrified voice, shocking Ichigo, who jumped from his chair.

"What? No! Why would I want to kill you?" He asked in dismay.

She blinked.

"Because you killed Captain Aizen and now you're here to get rid of me too." She whispered.

Ichigo clenched his fists in anger, but tried to calm down, when he noticed that she backed from him again.

He inhaled deeply and sat down again.

"I don't know who told you such ... such bullshit, but I didn't kill Aizen. I merely weakened him and after that, he was sealed. Right now he's in prison, awaiting his punishment." Ichigo watched with a frown as Hinamori's face lit up a little with happiness.

"But Hinamori-san... I know that we don't know each other very well, but let me say... do you really think you should be happy that he's alive? Aren't you more concerned about your other friends?" He widened his eyes when he saw her face showed anger.

"How dare you say something like that about Captain Aizen! He was only trying to do right thing! He must have had a very good excuse for his actions!" She yelled.

Ichigo almost instantly replied back in anger, but he managed to stop himself.

'Calm down, she's lost without Aizen, you can't blame her...'

He sighed and dropped his head.

"Hinamori-san. Tell me, how long have you known Aizen?" She blinked in surprise at his defeated tone and tried to remember.

"I think I met him along with Abarai-kun and Kira-kun when we were on one mission, just before we graduated from Shino's Academy. He, along with Captain Ichimaru and Captain Tousen, saved us from some huge hollows." She replied.

"I see... you must have been terrified, right? Being only in academy and yet you were being attacked, with no way of defending yourself?" He watched her nod a little.

"You know, the night I first became a shinigami, I was terrified too. Hollow attacked my home, my dad and my sisters. When I ran downstairs and saw a big monster, holding my little sister in his hands, I was scared to death. Like you, I was saved by someone else."

"Yes, by Kuchiki-san." He smiled a little at her and nodded.

"Yes, Rukia. But what saved me wasn't the fact that she gave me her own powers to defend myself and beat that hollow down. She saved me with her encouraging words. It was a long time, since someone told me something like that. Do you know that my mom was killed by a hollow when I was a kid?" She widened her eyes and put a hand in front of her mouth.

"Yeah. It's sad. She was the person I loved the most. After I lost her, I started to get protective of my remaining family. I wished that my sisters would never have to cry anymore. I wanted strength to do so. Rukia gave me that, both with her shinigami powers and her words. Just like Aizen helped you too." Hinamori felt a tear in her eye and mumbled her agreement.

"Yes... I was so happy." She whispered.

"He made you feel safe, he protected you from harm and was always there for you, wasn't he?" He watched as her lip trembled.

"It's okay Hinamori-san. I'm not judging you here not condemning you. Every single person needs someone like that in their life. I had my mother, you had Aizen. There is nothing wrong with that." He smiled at her encouragingly.

"Why are you telling me this? ... why aren't you trying to tell me to hate him, to spit on his image, like everyone else?" She cried and clenched her blanket.

"Because others don't understand the bond you had with him. It doesn't matter what the others say. He did terrible things after he betrayed the Soul Society openly. He hurt your friends, he hurt you. I know that you already realize that and I'm not here to enjoy seeing you get drowned in guilt." He shifted his chair closer to the bed.

"I admit, I hate Aizen for what he did to my friends. Hell, after I heard what he did to you, I hate him even for that. But that's me, you knew him longer than I did. Even if it was only a facade, he took care of you for a long time." She nodded in tears and hugged herself.

"Do you know that I have something I call a hidden ability? When I cross blades with someone, I can read what's in their hearts. Most of the time, I realize it after the battle is over, but the feeling remains. When I fought Byakuya at the Sokyoku Hill, I felt his inner conflict he had in his heart. He wanted to save Rukia with all his might, but his responsibilities as Noble clan leader gripped him too tightly and he was in the middle with nothing he could do. That's why I think I won. Because he desperately wanted for somebody to appear, that could do what he couldn't do. To save Rukia, his pride and the only remainder of his dead wife." Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed.

"Even before that, I met and crossed blades with Ichimaru Gin. I knew right then and there, that I could never really like the man. It's not his appearance, it was because I couldn't read his heart. It was as if he fought me, but his heart was already fighting someone else. During my fight with Aizen, I learned that I was right. For past hundred years, he was fighting against his hatred towards Aizen. He was trying to stop himself from trying to kill him everyday he was with him. I don't think that after such a long time, his mind is still intact. He's not crazy, but it'll take a long time, before he's healed. " Hinamori was listening to him carefully, wiping away her tears with a blanket.

"At my last fight with Aizen, I finally understood what was in his heart. Do you know what it was Hinamori-san?" She shook her head.

"Solitude." Hinamori widened her eyes in surprise.

"From his birth he knew he was special. He was stronger than everybody else. Do you know what happens to that kind of people? They are alone for most of their life. Others fear them, can't understand them. I think that he spent all of his life as a shinigami in a search for someone who was standing on the same level as he was. In short, I think he was searching for ... a friend. For someone who could understand him, who could be with him without being afraid of him. In the end his intentions became clouded with having too much power from Hogyoku. From what I heard he wanted to do something with the Soul King and frankly, I have no idea what he meant by that, but for now I'm standing behind what I said. His actions are inexcusable but in the end, he is only a sad and misunderstood person." Ichigo stopped for a moment and sighed again.

"I don't want you to hate him for what he did. Rather I want you to have a closure. Having only good memories about him is fine, but you have to come with terms that that's the only thing they are, only memories. You need to look forward, cast away your fears and doubts. Be strong, as there are many people who care about you, love you. They are worried sick about you and they don't want to see you suffer any more. Toshiro still can't forgive himself for the pain he put you through even if it wasn't his fault. He can't even look at you without feeling guilty. Same as me, he wants to protect people he cares about the most."

Hinamori trembled and looked at him.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to help me?"

Ichigo grinned a little.

"Because Toshiro asked me to and because I know that you deserve to be happy. This is not the only time I'll visit you. I'll come by again and again, till you'll feel better. That's what's friends are for, right Hinamori-san?" He gave her a thumbs up but quickly panicked when she bursted into tears and cried openly. He reached to pat her a little, but she grabbed him and hugged him fiercely, crying all over his clothes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." She repeated. Ichigo's eyes softened and he hugged her back a little.

"It's okay Hinamori-san. Why don't you tell me more about your memories with him? Or anything you want to talk about. I won't leave until I see at least one small smile."

"Momo... you can call me Momo." She said in quiet voice making Ichigo smile.

"Okay, Momo-san, what would you like to talk about?" He asked warmly.

'What do you know. I actually managed to do something well.' Ichigo thought and focused when he saw that Momo started to talk.

End of chapter 5.

**About the scene, where a woman wants Ichigo to 'ravish' her. I'm not thinking of woman badly, but I came into contact with this kind of girls and they would do worse things when intoxicated. That's why I wrote it.**

**And the name of the next chapter will be?**

**Protector's training pt.1 (Stinging bee, twin blades, the arts & the instinct)**


	6. Chapter 6: Protector's training part 1

**I'm really glad I managed to write this chapter in time. **

**This is the first part of the small training arc (well, arc... two chapters in total :D) where Ichigo'll finally try to improve himself. As I said in one of the previous chapters through the mouth of Isshin "You can have more reiatsu than anyone, but you can still be taken down", which is true. Ichigo may have possess reiatsu reserves on par with Captain Commander, but he's nowhere close in terms of fighting abilities as the old man.**

**I won't spend too much time on the training though, as I think that it wouldn't be good to talk about every detail. **

**If you're confused about Kukaku and Yoruichi...well... I'll keed you in the dark for a while.**

**For those who could think, after reading the part of Ichigo being a Shiba... "Since when were you under the impression that I'll be following the canon to the dot?" **

**You can expect some twists and as I said before, I'll incorporate parts about the begining of the Afterlife (based on my theories).**

**And no, Momo will appear in the story again but she won't be Ichigo's girlfriend, I'm only trying to convey the protecting side of Ichigo, that makes him who he is. She's someone who desperately needs help and I think that she was forgotten in the canon.**

**Enough of this, read the chapter ;)**

**Chapter 6 – Protector's training pt.1 (Stinging bee, twin blades, the arts & the instinct)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"Oi, woman, can't you give it a break?" Ichigo yelled in irritation at the Goddess of Flash, who was once again, lying naked beside him.

After he settled in the house of Kukkaku Shiba, Ichigo quickly found out, that her long time friend Yoruichi Shihoin spent awful lot of time in her house. Whenever Ichigo lied in his bed, he awoke with her next to him.

"Once again I have to say... such a prude." Yoruichi laughed and covered herself lightly with a blanket.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed his eyes.

'I may be yelling at her, but it seems I'm getting used to this...'

"Say, Yoruichi-san. Have you ever been in love?" He asked suddenly, making her jump in surprise.

"What?" She looked at him incredulously.

"It's just... I've never been in love with other girl. I love my family, I love my sisters and I loved my mother. Never have I felt anything towards a woman, that could be called romantic love. How do you know if you're in love? Is it something that can even be described?" He dived his face into the pillow and waited.

Yoruichi was looking at him with wide eyes.

'Did he really ask ... ME?'

"Why do you ask me, Ichigo?"

He rolled over and glanced at her.

"Well, I got no one else. Hell would sooner freeze over, than me asking Dad this kind of stuff. Everyone else is out of question. I can't exactly ask Rukia either, since for one, she's the one who's the subject of this question, and secondly, she doesn't look like she would know how to answer."

Yoruichi mentally slapped herself.

'Of course. That was a stupid question. I still seem to forget that he's so young and has no actual experience.'

"Well... I did once love somebody. It was a long time ago. More than a hundred years actually. It was a brief love too. Nothing serious. It was him, who taught me the Shunpo and made me into Goddess of Flash."

"Really? Who was it?" Ichigo asked in wonder.

Yoruichi shook her head apologetically.

"I can't talk about him. I mean, I can, I hold no longer feelings towards him, but he's a man of a higher rank than a Captain and so he's one of the secrets I must keep."

Ichigo nodded in acknowledgment.

"So how did I know I was in love with him? ... That's a tough one, Ichigo..." She sat and put her chin on her knees.

"Yeah, I know... it's just... Tatsuki practically confessed to me, Orihime admitted that she feels something too and now Rukia? Tatsuki and Orihime I could handle, since I was sure how I feel about them. With Rukia... I don't think I'm in love with her either, I just wanted to be sure..." Ichigo admitted and scratched his head.

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow.

'Well, to be honest I'm kind of relieved to hear that... God knows why...'

"To answer your question... if I'd have to think about it, I simply enjoyed his company. Whenever he was around I was feeling happy, as if I was intoxicated. I felt no worries and I could talk to him about anything. I felt no embarrassment in front of him. When he touched me, it gave me a burning sensation. But that's probably right for an impulsive love, the kind that comes and goes in a few weeks. I think, that if you truly love someone, you'd do anything for him, you'd want to be with him anytime and anywhere. You'd feel compelled to bring him happiness and you'd want him to be there, next to you, while you're sleeping... I don't know, I'm many times older than you and even I can't give you a proper answer and I'm just mumbling and going around one thing like a repeater." She dropped her head ashamed.

To her surprise, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ichigo smiling at her.

"It's okay. I had a feeling that something like that can't be explained by simple words. I only wanted to hear your opinion. You may be a pervert, but I value your input. You're wiser than me, Yoruichi-san."

She looked at him breathless.

'Wow, he's going to be a lady-killer. I almost want to... '

"Oooh, am I interrupting something?" Devilish voice of Kukaku interrupted the moment.

"Kukaku-san!" Ichigo exclaimed in surprise and flushed a little.

She flashed to him and whacked him on the head.

"I told you to call me just Kukaku. We're family, no need for honorifics."

"I got it, I got it, no need for pain!" Ichigo rubbed his head.

Yoruichi meanwhile turned away and put on her clothes.

'Maybe I should thank her, if she didn't come, I actually could have kissed him...aaah, I need a man. When you're being attracted even to a young boy you know that something's wrong... why can't Kisuke be just a little bit more normal?'

She sighed and shook her head.

* * *

It was almost a noon, when an irritated Ichigo walked from the 13th Division barracks. Once again, he couldn't find Rukia, as she was training somewhere and noone in the division knew where. He was starting to consider the fact, that Rukia herself didn't want to see him or that she was even ashamed for what she said to him during the party.

He wasn't watching where he was going and after a little stroll he found himself in front of the 2nd Division.

Having nothing else to do, he walked inside and saw the members of the Division under strict training from their Captain, Sui-Feng.

After a few minutes, she noticed him and grinned evilly.

"What are you doing here, Kurosaki? Finally decided that you want to get your ass kicked in that promised spar?" She called out for him, startling him a little.

The rest of the squad stopped training and looked at him with curious eyes.

"No, I just... you know what? Let's do it."

'I'm a little bit tense. This should get the blood flowing.'

Sui-Feng rubbed her hands. It was time to beat the brat.

* * *

"Ichigo is fighting Captain Sui-Feng!" An excited voice of Matsumoto interrupted the Lieutenants meeting, who stared at her in shock.

"What? Why?" Renji jumped from his chair.

"I don't know, but it looks like a friendly spar." She replied and ran aways to spread the news more.

The Lieutenants looked at each other and jumped from their chairs and flashed to 2nd Division barracks.

* * *

Captain Sui-Feng wasn't grinning anymore. In fact, she was frowning. She thought that she would beat Ichigo in a few minutes, but he was proving a lot more competent opponent that she thought.

"So? I thought you were going to show me." Ichigo taunted her.

'I say that but if I didn't have my hierro, I'd be probably limping. She's good, really good...' He thought and cracked his knuckles.

"Don't get too cocky, brat." She yelled back and flashed to him, aiming to kick him in the head.

Ichigo quickly ducked and than rolled, as he was sure that it was just a feint. He was proved right, as he felt her leg fell on the dust a little on his left.

From his crouching position, he tried to swipe her legs, but she saw through his move and quickly jumped, with her fist flying at his face.

'Whoa.'

He slapped her hand away just in time and grabbed her at the collar, trying to throw her through his shoulders.

He succeeded, but without effect as she rolled in the air and landed as a cat, on all four.

'She's more agile than me. On the other hand, I have more strength.'

Once again, she tried to surprise him with a flying kick and this time he didn't duck. Instead, he decided to find out, if he's hierro could withstand her kick directly.

Sui-Feng widened her eyes when she saw him extend his hand. She tried to outmaneuver him, but wasn't quick enough and he caught her leg in midair.

'Wow, it only stings a little bit. This'll get handy.' Ichigo thought as he felt only a slight pain in his hand.

He threw her in front of him as strong as he could.

"Urgh." Sui-Feng whimpered a little as she landed hard.

"Shit." She cursed when she noticed that Ichigo was already in mid-jump and she rolled over, trying to avoid him.

'Let's try this.' Ichigo thought and let some of his reiatsu flow into his hand.

He hit the ground with his fist just a few inches from her stomach creating a small crater in the ground.

"Ow." Ichigo yelped as the punched proved too much even for his Hierro to handle and he felt his knuckles scream from pain. Nothing was broken, but he already felt the bruise forming.

'Okay. No more of this for now.'

"What the-?" Sui-Feng looked at mark in the ground with wide eyes.

'That could have done more than just crack a rib. But he looks as surprised as me.'

She quickly jumped away and returned into defensive position.

"What did you do?" She asked him curiously.

Ichigo rubbed his knuckles.

"I tried to put some of my reiatsu into my arm to increase the strength of the punch but it seems I overdid it. It hurts like hell." He admitted.

'No shit. If I'd try that, my wrist would have been broken. What is he made from?'

"Damn, his bones must be made from stone." Renji commented from the sidelines. He and the other Lieutenants have been watching the sparr for the last few minutes.

"Yeah, I don't think even Captain Zaraki would be fine after that." Ikkaku nodded in wonder.

"Ooh, do you think that his muscles are that hard too?" Matsumoto asked quickly, making others shake their heads.

"I think that Kurosaki-san tried to find out the limits of his now hardened skin."

Renji turned his head in surprise at the voice.

"Captain Kyoraku-san? Wait, the other Captains are here too?"

"What do you mean, 'now hardened skin'?" Hisagi asked.

"We think, that after he merged with his hollow, he gained something akin to the Hollow hierro." Komamura answered him.

The others nodded in agreement. Lieutenants weren't surprised hearing about his merging, as their Captains told them about it after the Captain's meeting with Ichigo.

"Doesn't matter, it was too close. Go, Captain!" Omaeda cheered on his Captain with enthusiasm.

"Damn Omaeda, I'm trying to concentrate here..." Sui-Feng muttered in irritation.

'Let's try the good old martial arts.'

She flashed again to Ichigo and aimed her fist to his stomach. He quickly side-stepped and attempted to do the same. She slapped his hand away and changed her aim. With her second attack, she tried to punch him in the jaw and after that she hit him in the chest.

Ichigo successfully evaded her strike to the jaw, but felt the second attack dead on. He grimaced from the pain.

'So she's trying the martial arts, huh?'

He answered with his own series of punches and kicks, both from karate and his street fighting.

Sui-Feng jumped away, after she felt his fist on her shoulder.

'It's time to finish this.' She tought and flashed as fast as she could and attempted to hit his leg from behind.

Ichigo widened his eyes when he barely had the time to dodge, but he couldn't react to her second flash as she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, with her legs blocking his.

He lost his balance and was falling down when an idea hit him. With his one, somewhat free leg, he kicked in the ground and spinned himself during the fall, shaking her off him a moment before they hit the ground.

He noticed that she was too surprised and didn't notice him already standing up. Again he tried his drop punch and once again he missed by inches as she barely rolled away.

They jumped at each other with renewed vigour and traded blows after blow, neither hitting the spot and neither gaining any ground.

In the end however, Ichigo's superior strength proved to be the winning element as he gripped her from behind, restricting her movements the same way she did before.

He almost grinned but suddenly he lost his footing and fell on the ground, with Sui-Feng on top of him.

"Shit." They both cursed as the dust swirled around them.

Sui-Feng blinked a little and after a few seconds, she realized that she was sitting on something, that was alive.

She looked down and saw Ichigo looking at her with wide eyes.

"Well, I guess neither of us won." He grinned and nodded in acknowledgment at her.

"Yeah, not that it doesn't bother me. You're good, Kurosaki, I admit it. You think fast during the fight and few times you completely surprised me. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a spar." She admitted with a small grin.

"So if I want another one you won't protest?" He asked sincerely.

"Sure."

"Sooo, could you get off me now?" Ichigo asked in little embarrassment.

She widened her eyes and quickly stood up, dusting herself in the process.

They shook hands and Ichigo walked with her to her office, listening to her tips on how to further improve his Hakuda.

"Did he just?... did he win?" Omaeda asked in disbelief. He never saw anyone who could even match his Captain in pure Hakuda.

"No, it ended in a draw, which is surprising enough. He's quite good to keep up with Captain Sui-Feng." Kyoraku replied deep in thoughts.

"On the other hand, he's lucky to have his Hierro. I don't think he would be unhurt after those few blows, he managed to get from her." Ukitake commented.

"Either way, I think that the next time I want a spar in Hakuda, I'll call him." Hisagi said with respect and the other lieutenants nodded in agreement.

'Damn Ichigo, he's leaving me behind more and more... ' Renji thought bitterly.

* * *

"So, Ichigo-kun, how does it feel to be equal in Hakuda with a professional?" Kyoraku asked Ichigo, after the latter one emerged from the office of Captain Sui-Feng.

Ichigo turned around in surprise to see the lazy Captain waiting for him.

"It would probably feel good, but I'm nowhere close to be her equal. I only managed thanks to my Hierro and the fact that I surprised her with my style." Ichigo admitted.

'Hmmm, he's keeping level-headed and even admits his faults easily. Impressive for someone so young.' Kyoraku thought in a little surprise.

"Say, Kyoraku-san. I heard that you're one of the most proficient zanjutsu experts here in Seiretei. Do you think it would be possible for you to teach me a little bit of it in your free time?" Ichigo asked him suddenly, surprising the senior Captain even more.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you were already expert yourself, Ichigo-kun." Kyoraku replied slyly.

Ichigo just shook his head.

"Nah, I hardly know any zanjutsu style, I simply listen to my instincts and react accordingly. I was lucky enough to fight only those without any style till now, too. Well, some of them had some techniques, but I pressured them enough for them to have no time to use them. I fought with Byakuya and he was probably the only one who used proper zanjutsu against me, and it proved quite effective. I'm not saying I have no basics, it's just... you know."

Kyoraku nodded.

'Well, he's right. Fighting only with instinct can get you only so far. Still, it's incredible for him to go so far... '

"I understand. Why don't you stop by my division barracks in an hour? I have some paperwork to do and if I'd put it away, my Nanao-chan would... well... I'd be in no condition to help you." He laughed nervously.

Ichigo chuckled himself and promised to be there on time.

"Okay, since we want to fight only with zanjutsu, we'll only use our swords. No techniques, no reiatsu, no nothing just pure swordsmanship." Kyoraku said in serious voice and saw Ichigo take a stance.

"Your stance is good enough. You're ready to attack or to defend yourself. Your eyes are on your opponent... good."

He put his flower covered kimono away and took out his own twin zanpaktou.

"I wanted to use only one of my swords, but I think it'll be a good opportunity to test your agility with sword and your speed, too. Let's see how can you keep up against someone, who's using more blades." Kyoraku said and sped up to Ichigo with his zanpaktou falling down on Ichigo.

Said person put up his blade to block the incoming attack and almost forgot about the second blade. He noticed it in the last moment and ducked, or else his head would've been gone.

'Phew, no kidding, this'll take som time to adjust.'

He retaliated by swinging his huge cleaver with al of his strength at the lazy Captain, who blocked his attack with one blade at first, but quickly added his second blade, as he felt the force behind the strike.

Kyoraku widened his eyes a little.

'Strong!' He thought and pushed Ichigo away.

Without any time to spare he flashed behind the teen and swung his blades horizontally, trying to cleave him in two.

Ichigo spun around and blocked, but the Captain immediately charged another attack, with his left blade aiming at his stomach.

The blade of zangetsu managed to block it, but Ichigo felt a little pain in his left shoulder and widened his eyes. He quickly jumped, trying to put some distance between them.

He only managed to notice that he obtained a small cut on that shoulder, when he already had to block another vicious strike. He parried it as quickly as he could, but felt a pain in his other shoulder.

'Damn. How can he attack with different hand in different speed?' Ichigo thought angrily.

He spun himself around, holding zangetsu in front of him and managed to get away from the Captain.

"Not bad Ichigo-kun, I never thought of the attack like that." Kyoraku said appreciatively.

Ichigo snorted in disbelief.

"Yeah right. That's why I'm the one who's bleeding."

"Well, to be honest, you should have been more injured. That Hierro of yours is really strong." Kyoraku commented, making Ichigo widen his eyes.

'Shit.' He cursed mentally. His eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

He was aware that this was only a training, but getting cut so quickly was crumbling his pride a little.

Kyoraku prepared himself and blocked the substitute's oncoming slash, but even he was pushed back a little.

'Heh, seems like I injured more than only his shoulders.' He smirked. His plan to anger the teen was working splendidly.

'Let's see how can he hold himself when he's angry.'

* * *

"... and after I fainted, I woke up the next morning in our barracks. Since then I'm so embarrassed, I can't meet him. What should I do, Nii-san?" Rukia asked her brother with her head in her hands.

Kuchiki Byakuya was a Captain of 6th Division, head of the Kuchiki Noble clan and by most people considered a strict, cold and uncaring person.

But right now, he was having a headache, because he cared too much about his adopted sister, Rukia, who just told him a story, about how she, under the influence of alcohol, confessed her feelings to Kurosaki Ichigo.

Kurosaki Ichigo. Byakuya found the teen irritating from the beginning. He had no manners, which were instilled in the Noble Kuchiki from his birth. He was young and brash, sometimes borderline rude and most of all, a rebel. During the course of time and mainly, after their fight at the Sokyoku Hill, however he found the substitute to be very caring person and even the aristocratic Kuchiki somehow came to like him on some level.

He would never say it out loud, but that rebel side of him was something, that the Captain couldn't afford, but wanted. To be able to stand for their belief, to stand against the law and fight it for the ones he wished to protect... it was something that was denied to him.

First time he heard about his adopted sister living under the same roof, even in the same room as the teen... he almost flipped and lost his composure. No matter what was said about him, he cared about Rukia deeply. She was his pride, at first a simple stone, now a trimmed diamond, his remainder of his lost love, Hisana, and by her, his family. She was the only member of the Kuchiki clan, that cared about his well being on personal and deep level. She wasn't as cold as the elders or the remainder of the clan. She wasn't as aristocratic, and had a nice sense of humor.

She was the only person who could penetrate his icy cold demeanor and make him chuckle a bit. So when she told him calmly, that she was living in Kurosaki's closet for the whole time... She quickly had to calm him down and after rethinking it, he had to admit, he jumped to the conclusion too quickly. He got to know the young substitute and learned that he valued women too much to do something as vile as... well, shortly, he knew that his sister was in good hands.

But now he was told that she was in love with the boy?

Byakuya was in all honesty perplexed. How should he react? What should he say to her? He himself was in love only once, with Hisana. Should he kill the boy, for attracting her?

Should he deny her access to him?

Should he ignore it all?

Or should he support her?

He rubbed his temples. The headache was already here.

"Nii-san?" Rukia asked timidly.

"Yes, I was listening Rukia... I'm just trying to understand the situation." She nodded shortly and waited.

"Why are you so embarrassed? And is it really embarrassment that you're feeling? Isn't it that you fear the possibility of him rejecting you, that you can't see him?" Byakuya asked after a few minutes.

He watched as her head snapped up and cursed mentally when he noticed her shock.

'... but she needs to hear it. She needs to know that he may not reciprocate her feelings.' He told himself.

"I... I don't know Nii-san. Do you think it's possible? I mean it is possible, I'm not that pretty, I'm small, I'm... not so well-endowed..." She started to mumble incoherently.

"No! Rukia, you are a beautiful woman and every man would be happy to have you as wife. I'm just saying that there may be a possibility, that he only likes you as a dear friend. You have an exceptionally strong bond between you, akin to the one that the damn cat and the Urahara Kisuke share. However, I do not know, if what you have is the kind of the bond you wish to have. You just have to confront him." Byakuya replied quickly. He knew of her low self-esteem and he didn't want to hear it.

She smiled gracefully and nodded.

"Do you think you'd be able to be just his friend, even if he rejects you?" Byakuya asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know... it would be perfect if he'd accept me. He's one of the few that even Nii-san or the elders would approve of, he's a gentleman, maybe a tad rude, but he always treats women with kindness. He's very strong, caring... handsome... " She mumbled the last bit, surprising Byakuya, who got a coughing fit.

After he calmed down he saw that Rukia was blushing furiously after her slip.

"Yes, well, it seems that women find him quite attractive." Byakuya admitted, not noticing Rukia shocked expression.

"I... think we could still be friends. It's... we've been together through a lot of stuff and that's something that can't be forgotten. We share memories and that's enough for me... but when I see him with another woman I just get so jealous... I hope that when he'll find someone for him and it won't be me, I'll be over him... " She said sadly.

Byakuya beamed at her. His pride indeed.

'She's very mature about it. More than I would probably be... I'm proud of you, Rukia.'

He looked out his window and sighed.

'Think carefully before you speak to her, Kurosaki. I'd hate to go bankai on your ass if you're insensitive towards her...'

* * *

'Damn, no wonder he's an expert.' Ichigo thought out of breath.

He and Kyoraku were getting at it for almost an hour and both of them were sweating bullets.

Ichigo was now spurting cuts all over, bleeding slightly. It was thanks to his Hierro that he wasn't already in 4th Division.

On the other side stood Captain Kyoraku. Surprisingly, he had some injuries himself. He was an expert in zanjutsu and yet, he let himself get caught in some of the suprising moves of Ichigo, who thought out of the box.

After he got his first injuries, Ichigo was angry and fought with a little rage, but it quickly cooled off, after he noticed, that it not only didn't help, it made him even more of a target.

So he switched tactics and started to not just swing with his huge cleaver around, but he tried to copy some of the moves he saw Kyoraku performing on him.

It proved a good thing, when after almost fifteen minutes, he finally managed to surprise the Captain and nick him a little on his wrist. Since than, he managed to slightly injure him more.

He was however, the one who was spending a lot more energy on offense and defense and was quickly loosing his stamina.

'But it seems he's getting tired too.'

Ichigo was grateful for having enormous reiatsu capacity, that allowed him to somehow keep up with more experienced Captain.

He jumped and tried to flash to his opponent, when he noticed that Kyoraku held up his hand.

"I think it's enough, Ichigo-kun. I don't think I remember having to spar that much with somebody and I'm getting all sweaty." He grimaced when he smelled himself a little.

"And I start to reek of sweat. I can't have that." He chuckled a little but then got serious.

"As I said after your spar with Captain Sui-Feng, you're really good, Ichigo-kun. Not many people in Seiretei could keep up with me for that long and survive. Of course you have much room to improve as well. I'm sure you noticed that even with your limitless stamina, you're getting tired, which means, that you use too much energy in fight." He said and saw Ichigo nod.

"On the other hand, it's incredible that you managed to last that long and you have only so few injuries. It's thanks to your Hierro, but even then... More importantly, I noticed that you managed to copy some of my moves perfectly after only seeing them a few times. That's... really amazing. Urahara Kisuke was right, your ability to improve is almost scary. I think I can say without thinking, that you're more of a prodigy than even the likes of Captain Hitsugaya or Ichimaru Gin. It took me lot of centuries to get where I'm now and I think that you could surpass me in a few decades. You probably already surpassed me in terms of reiatsu but I think I could still surprise you in other areas." He chuckled a little.

"You can say it Kyoraku-san, if you wanted to, you could kick my ass." Ichigo laughed a little bit bitterly.

"No, I don't think so. Remember, we were using pure swordsmanship and even with that you managed to injure me. I can out-class you in Kido for now, but there's no way I could simply 'kick your ass'. No, if we would to go full out, I'd be probably quickly pressed to use even my bankai to fight you." Kyoraku praised him.

Ichigo looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really?"

Kyoraku nodded slightly and motioned to follow him to get some refreshments and to talk about some tips on Ichigo's zanjutsu.

* * *

Ichigo was walking through the halls of 4th Division with a smile on his face.

After he trained a little with Kyoraku, he visited Aizen's ex-lieutenant in 4th Division again. Since his first visit, Hinamori became a little bit calmer and she didn't have that oppressive aura around her. As Ichigo suspected, talking about her memories helped her release some of the angst she felt, ever since Aizen defected.

Today, she told him the story about how she met Toshiro when they were younger.

As Unohana later informed him, it was the first time after long weeks that anyone saw Hinamori truly smile.

Ichigo was happy for her. He may knew her for only a short time, but during his talks with her, he was convinced that she was a truly nice person, kind-hearted, who deserved to be happy.

While he thinking about his visit, he accidentally bumped into someone with pink hair.

"Oh, sorry Hacchi."

The person he bumped into was one of the Vizards, the pink giant, Hacchigen.

"It's fine, Ichigo-san. What are you doing here, if I may ask?" The Vaizard asked him politely.

"I was just visiting Hinamori Momo. She was Aizen's lieutenant and she's... well, she wasn't doing very good." Ichigo sighed with small smile.

"But she's a little bit better now. It'll take more time, but I think she'll get over it."

Hacchi nodded encouragingly.

"Yes, poor soul. Aizen did horrible things to her as well, I'm sure of it... where are you headed now? You look a little bit roughed up. Something happened?"

Ichigo looked at his clothes and chuckled.

"Naah, I was just training with Kyoraku-san in zanjutsu. I thought, since I'm here I could use the time to improve myself. Long story short, I found out I have a long way to go till I can beat someone of his caliber with pure swordsmanship." He snorted.

"I was just thinking that maybe I could finally try to learn some Kido, since it's the one thing I know nothing about, but I don't know who could teach me. I was thinking about asking Rukia but... she's kinda out of the question."

Hacchi frowned and stared at Ichigo who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, if you wanted to, I could teach you Kido. You are one of the Vizards, after all, so I don't mind." Hacchi finally said to a surprised Ichigo.

"Really? Ohhh, I almost forgot that you were lieutenant of the Kido Corps. That would be great!" Ichigo exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"No problem. Wait for me in the courtyard. I'll go to Unohana-san to get an approval to use her barracks." Hacchi chuckled lightly and walked away.

"So, Ichigo-san. Tell me, how is your control of your reiatsu?" Hacchi asked, standing next to a sitting Ichigo.

"Uhm... not that good?" Ichigo smiled nervously.

"Yes, the first step in our training will be learning how to withdraw the reiatsu, you're constantly emitting, back into your soul, so that your output would be minimal. I don't expect you to do it perfectly today. Actually I think that if you'd be able to do that in a week's time would be incredible. So, no worries if you can't do it." Hacchi smiled and sat in front of him.

"Now, in order to release your bankai and your resurrección, you need to increase your reiatsu output. I know that when you return back to your shikai, that output in decreased by your doing, so you know the basics. To further improve that, you have to visualize your reiatsu. Close your eyes." He said and watched as Ichigo closed his eyes.

"The best way to do it is to imagine some sort of container. In your case it must be something huge, proportional to your vast amount of reiatsu. I'd suggest a dam. When you have it, increase your output the same way you'd do before the bankai release. Hold it there and then slowly withdraw it back but this time, put it in your dam. You may find out that your dam is a little bit small and in that case don't push more, just do it again from the beginning, this time with a dam of increased size."

'Easy, right?' Ichigo snorted bitterly and focused.

He tried to imagine a dam as instructed. When he was sure it was done correctly, he raised his reiatsu on the level of releasing his bankai and held it steady.

After a moment he slowly started to withdraw it back.

'Huh? I can see my dam but it's not filling up?' He thought confused.

"Uhm, Hacchi, why isn't my dam filling up? Am I forgetting something?" Ichigo asked with closed eyes.

'It's a good thing I put up that barrier to prevent reiatsu from leaking. It's really heavy.' Hacchi was sweating a little and wiped his brow.

"Yes, I forgot, sorry about that. You have to visualize the flowing reiatsu and transform it into something that has physical mass. Since you're filling up a dam, I'd say, imagine your reiatsu as the water flowing in the river and point that river into your dam." Hacchi replied.

'Ooooh... why didn't I think of that.' Ichigo mentally slapped himself.

He did exactly as instructed and when he tried to feel his reiatsu and visualize it as the river, his mind pictured an image of a wild and raging torrent of water that constantly flowed around him.

'Wow, is... is this my reiatsu?' Ichigo thought amazed.

After shaking his head, Ichigo started to withdrew the massive stream back into his dam. It was a slow process and it seemed that no matter how long he let the dam to be filled, the stream wasn't weakening.

Hacci watched Ichigo struggle and smiled. He was already making a progress. The heavy reiatsu that was pushing him to the ground just seconds ago was slowly but surely disappearing.

He expected Ichigo to have more problems with it, but him merging with his hollow probably sped up the process, as he now possessed a little bit better control than before.

When Ichigo's reiatsu dropped to his normal levels while in his constant shikai, he noticed that Ichigo's frown deepened and a little sweat started to form on his brow.

Now was the moment for the true test of his control. If Ichigo could lessen his normal output even just by little, he would do some progress.

'Damn, it's getting harder to direct the flow into the dam every minute.' Ichigo gasped mentally.

His dam wasn't completely full, as he made it practically bottomless, but the torrent of water flowing around him was loosing its obedience towards his will.

'What am I doing wrong? I'm no longer conflicted about my hollow so what is it? It can't be just because I have so much reiatsu. If yama-jii can do it, so can I!' He cursed and concentrated again.

Hacchi widened his eyes as he felt that Ichigo's reiatsu did a huge drop and was now on Lieutenant level.

'And it's still dropping, interesting.'

After ten more minutes, when Ichigo's output reached the level of 4th seat and was no longer dropping, Hacchi stopped him.

"I think that it's enough Ichigo-san. Now imagine that you close that dam and reinforce its walls, so that the pressure won't destroy it. After you do it, you can drop your concentration. If you did it correctly, the reiatsu you contained in it should remain there. You're doing great so far."

He saw that Ichigo's face showed relief and after ten more minutes, he saw him open his eyes and wipe his brow.

"Haaah... so it's working?" Ichigo asked tiredly.

"Yes, it's working splendidly. You now only emit the reiatsu of the seated officer, what is in my humble opinion incredible progress. I expected you to drop your reiatsu to a Lieutenant level, at best, but you again proved to do better." He gave Ichigo thumbs up.

"So? Now what?" Ichigo asked with a happy smile.

'I did it! Not completely, but it's something!'

"Now, we can try to learn some actual Kido. We'll try the basic ones and see how will that go."

Hacchi rubbed his chin in thoughts.

"Firstly, Kido or Demon Arts in other words, are divided into three classes. Bakudo or Way of Binding which are supplementary spells, Hado or Way of Destruction and Kaido or simply Healing Kido. Each class is important and can drastically change the direction of fight. Surprise use of Bakudo can trap your opponent, with the Hado you can cause great damage to him all the while you're healing yourself with Kaido. With me so far?"

Ichigo nodded in enthusiasm.

"Good. We'll begin with Hado, as I think we'll agree that destruction is something you can do quite well. Its number is one and the name is Sho. Hado #1 : Sho!" Hacchi turned and pointed at the practice target, which got blown a small distance.

"As you can see, this Kido has no incantation. It's a simple spell, where you direct your reiryoku into your index finger, point it at your target and let the energy flow. It helps if you visualize the effect, which is a simple thrust. Be carefull and do not use too much of your reiryoku. This spell can be used effectively by students in academy and therefore the need for energy is very low. Now you try."

Ichigo stood up and walked next to Hacchi. He pointed his index finger in the direction of the second practice target and concentrated.

'Focus the energy into your finger, visualize the effect and let it flow. Got it, it's like Getsuga, only with lesser amount of energy. Should be easy enough.'

He imagined the target to be blown away and let a bit of energy flow into his finger. When he couldn't contain it any longer, he let it out and watched as the target was blown from it's place to Hacchi's barrier like a bullet.

Ichigo widened his eyes when he felt a pain in his finger and saw a little smoke emerge from it.

"Ow. What happened?"

Hacchi chuckled and turned to him.

"You used too much reiryoku and the redundant energy burned you. But it seems you grasped the context quickly enough."

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, it's similar to when I use my Getsuga. I thought I put as little energy as I could but I guess it was still too much."

"Yes, if you wanted to use it for example to get your injured comrade out of the combat zone, you'd probably injure him more." Ichigo cringed at the words and got into the stance again.

"Again." He said and focused once again.

This time, the target was blown away with a smaller force and his finger was no longer smoking.

"Hehe, easy as pie." Ichigo grinned cheekily at his success.

"It is the most basic Kido spell after all." Hacchi commented, making Ichigo pout a little.

"Now try the basic Bakudo spell. It's called Sai and its purpose is to bind the arms of your target behind its back."

Hacchi aimed at the practice target with his index and middle finger together.

"Bakudo #1: Sai!" The target's arms locked behind its back instantly.

"I know this one! Rukia used it on me when we first met!" Ichigo remembered and then grinned evilly.

'Revenge will be sweet.'

Hacchi only chuckled and let him took the stance.

"The process is the same as with the Sho. Energy into both of your fingers, visualize, let it out."

"Bakudo #1: Sai!"

This time Ichigo managed to do it correctly on his first try. He already knew how much energy he should use. He turned to Hacchi with a victory sign and waited for another instructions.

"Good. You can try to improve the speed in which you perform these kido in your free time, since both of them aren't that potent and you can't destroy larger areas with them. Now we'll try other two kido that don't require incantation. The first one, a Hado type, is called Byakurai. Watch closely."

Hacchi turned to the practice targets and held up his palm.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!" He said and a torrent of blue energy, similar to a lighting bolt, emerged from his hand and destroyed the target.

'Byakuya used this on me...heh another one bites the dust.' Ichigo thought mentally.

"For this Hado, you have to gather a little bit more of your energy and compress it as hard as you can. When it's done, imagine the energy to be the energy of electricity and let it out. Bit of a warning though. This time start with as little reiryoku as you can. Byakurai is a Hado, which when used with too much energy and little control can electrify you and it's not pleasant." Hacchi warned him.

Ichigo held up his hand and concentrated. He gathered as little reiryoku as he could and pushed it into his hand.

'Now compress it.'

"!"

"Ow!" Ichigo cursed after a small explosion engulfed him with a smoke.

"Ah, it seems that you tried to compress the energy without paying attention to the said energy. You can't simply compress something without having it wrapped in something. Just like with your energy being in your dam, the energy in your palm has to be contained, you need to define its borders." Hacchi said through the smoke and heard Ichigo mumble something.

'He could have said that before I tried it...'

"Got it." Ichigo replied and tried it again.

He compressed the energy successfully on his second try.

'Okay, transform it into electricity just as it emerges from your palm.'

Hacchi watched him struggle and saw a small blue air flow from Ichigo's hand.

"Try again with a tiny bit more reiryoku and you didn't transform the energy correctly."

Ichigo's mouth twitched in annoyance.

'Like I wasn't trying...'

For the next ten minutes Hacchi watched Ichigo fail, but on his ninth try, he managed to produce a regular Byakurai.

"Good. Add more energy and again, till the torrent is the same diameter as your palm." Hacchi commanded and he waited another five minutes for Ichigo to complete it.

Ichigo wiped his brow after the practice target in front of him blew up from his successful Hado.

"Okay, we will learn one more kido today, Ichigo-san. It's called Seki and it's a Bakudo. For this I want you to try and kick me when you'll see an orb on my right hand." Hacchi told him and waited for Ichigo to nod.

He raised his right hand.

"Bakudo #8: Seki."

'Here goes.' Ichigo thought and tried to kick him in the hand, but when he made contact with a light blue orb, his foot was blocked and repelled back, sending him few meters back.

"I trust you understood the effect of this Kido?" Hacchi asked him after he released the kido.

"Yeah, it can block and repel physical attacks?" Ichigo replied.

"Yes, but it's not limited on physical attacks only. It can do the same with other Kido but mostly only those, which are of lower level. However, if you can put more reiryoku in it while maintaining it, you could block Hado of even higher level. I think that low powered Shakkakho can be blocked too."

"Sweet."

"For this bakudo, you have to push the reiryoku to the part of your body that you want to protect. It's easiest to use with hands so you should start with that. Gather the energy and flatten it so that it would form an orb, covering that part of your body. Imagine it and let the energy emerge." Hacchi instructed him and walked a few steps away.

"When you're sure you have it, announce it and I'll try a regular Sho to test it."

Ichigo nodded and focused on the task. He raised his hand in similar way Hacchi did and gathered the reiryoku. From his knowledge on Byakurai, he firstly contained the energy and formed borders around it and only after that he proceeded to flatten it. He let the reiryoku flow from his body and glanced at his hand. He noticed a translucent orb next to his right hand.

"Got it!" He yelled to Hacchi and braced for the possible failure of his kido.

Hacchi pointed his finger on the orb.

"Sho!" He called and Ichigo could almost feel the energy stopping on his Seki and bounce back at Hacchi, who managed to avoid his own spell.

Ichigo grinned at Hacchi, who only applauded him.

"Very good, Ichigo-san. You can try to improve yourself in these kido on your own since you know the basics. For now switch between speed in which you can use them and the level of power put behind them. You could try and use them without calling them out loud, but be carefull with it. Kido tends to be harder to control without verbal command."

"Thank you Hacchi. I hope we can do this again soon. I kind of like this kido stuff. It's nice too see the results of your hard work as soon as you get it right." Ichigo grinned and lied on the floor tiredly.

Hacchi smiled and sat on the ground too, assuming meditating pose.

'Well, I could have told him that what he learned in mere two hours, takes more than a month in a Shinigami Academy...'

* * *

Ichigo woke up in his inner world facing his zanpaktou spirit.

"Oh, Zangetsu, what is it?" Ichigo asked, still lying comfortably.

**"I wanted to talk to you Ichigo, but before that I'm curious... how can you lie there?"** Zangetsu asked in amusement when he saw Ichigo open and widen his eyes.

He looked down and saw that he was floating in the air. Instantly, he jumped on the nearby skyscraper and with twitching brow glanced at Zangetsu.

"You did it on purpose!" Ichigo yelled and sighed when he saw his zanpaktou smirk.

**"I'd never do that." **HIs smirk widened when Ichigo only cursed quietly.

**"But enough fun. Ichigo, I noticed that you finally decided to train and I must say I'm proud of your accomplishments." **

Ichigo looked at him in surprise.

"What accomplishments? I got my ass kicked by Sui-Feng, Kyoraku-san and it took me long two hours till I learned the easiest kido..." He grimaced but had to dodge a surprise swipe from his zanpaktou.

"What the-?"

Zangetsu shook his head.

**"You're giving yourself too little credit, Ichigo. Sui-Feng is a master assassin, second only to your friend Yoruichi and to equal her is not something many can do. I don't think that most of the Captains are so skilled in Hakuda. Captain Kyoraku is at least half a millenia older than you and yet you managed to press him. Those kido you learned are easiest to learn maybe for academy students, because they don't have much reiatsu. You, on the other hand possess so much reiatsu that learning basic Kido should have taken you a lot more time. That you did it in only few hours time is... very, very good. Remember that even your friend, Renji, who's a lieutenant can't do some Kido properly and yet you already learned four of them."** Zangetsu scolded him with stern voice.

Ichigo looked at the ground embarrassed.

'Well, only Zangetsu could encourage me and scold me at the same time.' He chuckled and looked at his zanpaktou.

"I guess this isn't the reason you called me here."

Zangetsi nodded and turned away.

**"Soon we'll train too, Ichigo. It's time that you learn my secrets. I can't have you swing with me and using only one technique."** Ichigo gasped and flashed to him.

"Cool, what do you have in mind?" Zangetsu almost chuckled at the eagerness in Ichigo's voice.

**"You'll see, but I must warn you Ichigo. When I'm training, I'm not very kind. You'll have to show me that you deserve to know what I want you to learn." **Zangetsu warned him with serious voice.

Ichigo gulped and nodded. He remembered from his training for bankai, just how unkind his zanpaktou could be.

**"But now, Shirosaki would want you to learn some of his techniques. You did good using them in your fight with Aizen, but you spent too much energy on them. When you'll wake up, he'll talk to you. Ask your friend Hacchi to erect a strong barrier around you, since you'll be using your hollow reiatsu and we don't want anyone to mess with the training."** Zangetsu surprised Ichigo again, who only widened his eyes.

'I guess I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight.'

He turned around and prepared to go out of his inner world when he heard zangetsu.

**"Go, Ichigo. If you'll train hard enough in time I may show you the true form of my bankai too..."**

Ichigo turned his head in shock, just as he woke up at the training grounds of the 4th Division.

'True form? What does that even mean?...'

Ichigo jumped in surprise when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

**'As Zangetsu said Kingy, you'll see in time. But you can't be a pussy and have to show Zangetsu who's the boss around here.' **

'Shirosaki, you've been quiet these days.' Ichigo greeted him

**'Nah, I've just been asleep. Additionally, I'm proud of you Kingy. Even someone as gay as you managed to get two hotties in bed with himself.' **Shirosaki laughed when Ichigo flushed a little, after an image of naked Yoruichi and Kukaku entered his mind.

'Shut uuuup!'

He stood up and walked to Hacchi, who was watching him for a moment.

"Hacchi, could you... could you do a strong barrier around me? Just like you did in the warehouse, when I was trying to control my hollow?" He asked him and watched as Hacchi looked at him in surprise.

"Of course, but may I ask why?"

Ichigo scratched his head nervously.

"Aaah, well, Shirosaki, my hollow, wants me to learn how to use his powers properly so that he won't be ashamed by me."

Hacchi's surprised face morphed into a shocked one and he looked at Ichigo with alarm.

"Are you sure? I mean... ."

Ichigo held up his hand and stopped him.

"It's okay, I understand your concern, but trust me, it'll be just a training."

Hacchi nodded and motioned him to stand in the centre of the training grounds. He was preparing to build up a barrier when Ichigo called out to him.

"And make it so that it can mask and endure a lot of hollow reiatsu. I'm going to go into resurrección so... you catch my drift." Hacchi nodded and prepared the barrier.

Inside Ichigo frowned.

"You know, I still don't know why I have to go into bankai and only after that into resurrección." Ichigo muttered to his hollow.

Shirosaki facepalmed.

**'And I thought you're supposed to be the intelligent one. Tell me, can a shinigami go to a bankai from his sealed blade? No, he has to go into shikai first. Arrancars can release their resurrección immediately, but we are different. Our resurrección works as another release of our power. Only when your shinigami powers are at your max you can use the hollow ones. It's because the shinigami side of you is preventing them from releasing too early as it could damage you. Resurrección, mainly ours is extremely strong and it has to have an opposing force that could balance it accordingly and that's your bankai. You can use your hollow powers even when you're in shikai, but they can only be as strong as is your shikai.' **Shirosaki explained to a surprised Ichigo.

"So basically, my hollow attacks can be only as strong as is my shinigami level? It's... confusing. It means that even when I'm using hollow powers I can't do stronger attacks than with my shinigami ones?" Ichigo asked in confusion.

**'It's like this. You're in shikai now. If you'd use your cero, it would be as strong as your getsuga. In bankai it would be as strong as kuroi getsuga. But! If you release your Resurrección, the attacks would be strong as the cero and kuroi getusga combined. To answer your question, it's good to learn how to use hollow powers even when you're not in resurrección, because of the diversity of attacks. Additionally, a cero is a lot faster that getsuga and bala is even faster. Imagine how surprised could be your opponent if you'd spam getsugas on him and suddenly a bala hit him." **Shirosaki replied and could almost see a light bulb lighten above Ichigo's head.

"Oh, never thought about it in that way. Cool." Ichigo admitted.

**"Of course, that's why I'm the instinct and you're the logic." **Shirosaki snorted in amusement and waited for Ichigo to release.

On the other side of the barrier, Hacchi was looking out for any damage in it when he saw Ichigo release his resurrección.

Immediately , the barrier started to crack and he widened his eyes.

It was a first time anyone damaged his barrier with pure spiritual pressure. He quickly added more layers to it and wiped his brow. His eyes glanced to Ichigo's new form and he felt another bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

He never witnessed Ichigo's resurrección before.

'Truly, a frightening sight.' He said and had to sit down.

**"So, what is the first thing I'm going to learn?"** Ichigo asked in wonder.

**'You're going to learn how to use your Cero properly. As Zangetsu said, you used too much energy on it last time and only burned out your reserves.'** Shirosaki replied.

**"But it was a stronger Cero."** Ichigo protested.

**'No, the excessive energy only dispersed, it wasn't used in the Cero because of your lack of control. I expect you to do it properly on your first time right now.' **

Ichigo shook his head in amusement.

'It's only natural that my hollow would be the most harsh one.'

**"So what did I do wrong? I didn't concentrate enough and didn't compress the hollow energy properly?" **Ichigo asked in thought.

Shirosaki blinked in surprise.

**'Exactly... See? You're not as stupid as you look.' **

**"Idiot, if I look stupid and we look the same, doesn't that mean that you look stupid too?" **Ichigo asked him while facepalming.

**'Naah, cuz I'm too handsome for that.' **Shirosaki laughed and watched Ichigo drop to the ground comically.

**"Fine, let's get it over with."**

Ichigo concentrated on his hollow energy and pointed into his horns. As he noticed the red ball forming between them, he focused on the said ball and imagined it being compressed, all the while adding more reiryoku.

**'Idiot! Enough! We're inside a barrier, do you want blow us up?' **Shirosaki yelled at him, startling him enough to let the Cero strike the practice target, which exploded on contact with it and the shockwave cracked the barrier and pushed Ichigo backwards.

**"Oops."** Ichigo laughed nervously and glanced at Hacchi, who was already busy repairing the barrier.

**'I swear everytime someone praises you, you screw up...' **Shirosaki sighed, **'... but, you managed to do the Cero correctly. No wasted energy whatsoever. You probably didn't even feel that you used any energy, right?'**

Ichigo nodded.

**'Good. Now, we'll try to improve your use of high-speed regeneration and that would be all for today, as you'll be too wasted to do anything more.' **Shirosaki said, getting a raised eyebrow from Ichigo.

**"And how are we going to test it?"**

**'Simply. Cut off your left arm.'**

"..."

**"WHAT?!"** Ichigo yelled loudly.

**"Are you fucking kidding me? You expect me to cut off my own arm? I have a preservation reflex for god's sake!"**

**'Or you could blow yourself up with your own Cero...'**

"..."

**"Which arm was it?" ** Ichigo asked in defeated tone and shook his head.

'This is crazy...'

**'Left one. Don't be a pussy kingy. It'll grow back, we're just trying to improve the speed and the amount of used energy.'** Shirosaki said calmly.

**"If that was supposed to calm me down... you suck at it." ** Ichigo grimaced and gripped his zanpaktou in his right arm and looked at his left one.

'Crazy, crazy, crazy... 'He thought and sliced his left arm up to his elbow.

**"Gah!"** He gasped from the pain and looked at his lump.

'Jesus, what is that kid doing?' Hacchi thought in shock.

**"Now what?" **Ichigo asked through gritted teeth.

**'It's quite simple. Just redirect the flow of your hollow energy into the wound and imagine your hand. Do it slowly, so that you can learn the proper amount that you should use.' **

Ichigo nodded and with a pained frown focused on his wound.

After few seconds he saw a new hand forming and as the pain receded, he exhaled in relief.

**'Okay, do it again. You used a good amount of energy, now I want you to do it faster. You should be able to repair your wound almost instantly.'** Shirosaki commented without mercy and Ichigo grimaced.

'Stupid, crazy, insane... ' He cursed and prepared his sword for the second time.

Hacchi has been watching him cutting his own hand for the past hour and was holding himself back, so that he wouldn't interrupt him.

He was aware what was Ichigo's hollow trying to teach him, but he still considered it too cruel.

Hacchi glanced at his right hand, that was previously destroyed in his fight with the Segunda Espada, Barragan, and only thanks to Orihime, it was restored, and sighed.

After that fight he realized just how vulnerable he was. Seeing Ichigo learning to use high-speed regeneration gave him an idea.

Not once the Vizoreds tried to use their hollow powers to heal their wounds as they feared that it would only make them more hollow-like as they already were. But it was probably time to try it.

He was interrupted from his musing when an extremely tired Ichigo knocked on his barrier and passed out from exhaustion.

Hacchi smiled and let the barrier down.

Yes, it was time for Vizoreds to walk in Ichigo's steps and try to learn more about their powers.

**End of chapter 6.**

**The name of the next chapter will be: Protector's training pt.2 (The cat, the healer and the Soul).**

**I wonder if I'll manage to publish it next Monday, since I'm having finals...**


	7. Chapter 7: Protector's training part 2

**Phew, these exams are killing me! Thankfully, I've been able to finish this chapter in time, but I'm not sure how well the next one will go. I'll let you know of the status of it through my profile.**

**Now onto some questions.**

**'If Vizards are going to train with hollow powers, will they be like Ichigo?' - No. Their hollows are artificial, therefore their communication with them is limited. The best they can do is improve their current abilities.**

**'True version of bankai.' - Hehe, not telling :D. I have to say, new chapters of Bleach made me think hard but I 'll tell you one thing. It won't be the same as in the canon. But some things will be (surprisingly Kubo is thinking similarly as me...)**

**You may found yourself confused by the end of the chapter, but trust me. Everything will be explained in time. **

**Hope you'll like it ;)**

**Chapter 7 – Protector's training pt.2 (The cat, the healer and the Soul)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"I'm happy that you're trying to use the time that you have here in a productive way, however, I'd be happier if it didn't mean ending up in medical care, Kurosaki-san." Unohana scolded Ichigo, who was putting his clothes back.

After his training with Shirosaki, where he finally learned how to use high-speed regeneration efficiently, Ichigo woke up in 4th Division barracks.

apparently, he passed out from exhaustion after cutting off and then healing his arm and Hacchi carried him inside for medical check-up.

Ichigo was still flushed, since Unohana insisted on doing another full body check on him and once again, she couldn't resist not to touch him more than she would with any other patients.

After his dealing with women in Soul Society, Ichigo was slowly realizing what her actions meant and it... scared him a bit.

He wasn't sure how he could deal with kind Captain, who could turn deadly serious in a heartbeat.

"I promise Unohana-san. Since I learned how to use high-speed regeneration, it would have to be a really grave injury that could send me here." He smiled nervously at her and walked away.

"Ah...what a shame..." He heard while closing the doors and shuddered from the eerie feeling he got from her voice.

'I can't deal with her. She's... ' He shook his head.

'I have to deal with Rukia first.'

After a few flash-steps, he appeared in front of the 13th Division barracks, hoping that Rukia would finally be here.

Inside he noticed another petite shinigami he remembered to be the sister of the Lieutenant of the 4th Division, Isane, Kiyone Kotetsu.

"Excuse me, uhm, Kiyone-san?" He called out for her and watched in mild amusement as the papers she was holding, flew in the air from her arms.

"Aaah, Kurosaki-san, you scared me. I almost couldn't feel your reiatsu. What can I do for you?" She asked him breathing heavily from her frightened jump.

'Ha! So my control training finally paid off.'

"Is Rukia here?" Ichigo asked calmly.

"Yes, she was in fact looking for you. She's in the Lieutenant's office." Kiyone replied, pointing at the door on far right.

Ichigo widened his eyes.

'Don't tell me...'

"Did she get promoted?"

The 3rd seat shook her head sadly.

"No, she just likes spending time there." She said and excused herself.

Ichigo braced himself and flashed to the office.

'Here goes nothing.'

* * *

'I wonder what will he say...' Rukia thought sadly, sitting in the comfortable chair inside the office.

She has been looking for Ichigo for the whole previous evening, but couldn't find him.

'Maybe he's angry that I was avoiding him?' Her thought was interrupted by a loud knock on the doors.

"Yes?"

"Rukia, it's Ichigo, we need to talk." Ichigo said, surprising Rukia, who didn't notice his presence till now.

'So the rumours of him training were actually true. Didn't think he had it in him. But to lower his reiatsu after only a day... the elders would really like him.' She blushed when the thought of her and Ichigo together invaded her mind.

'Snap out of it Rukia.' She mentally slapped herself.

"Come in, Ichigo." She called out for him and watched him walk inside with his huge cleaver on his back and his kimono revealing a bit of his chest.

'I'm behaving like a fangirl.' She scolded herself, when she felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Hey." He greeted her awkwardly.

"Hey yourself. Sit down, Ichigo."

He sat on the offered chair and went silent.

'Well, this is awkward.' Ichigo thought and opened his mouth.

"I want to-"

"Listen Ichi-"

They looked at each other nervously.

"You first." Rukia said and motioned him to continue.

"Thanks... uhm, Rukia. Did you really mean what you said at the party? That you... you ..."

Ichigo tried to finish but blushed instead.

"That I ... love you?" Rukia muttered quietly.

"Yeah, that." Ichigo nodded nervously.

Rukia inhaled deeply and raised her head. She looked him in the eyes.

"Yes."

Ichigo widened his eyes. He expected her to be nervous, to deny that she ever said something like that in the first place.

All he could see in that moment was however pure resolve, not unlike the one he had, when fighting someone.

'She looks completely sure...'

"Why?"

She looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean why?"

Ichigo sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Why do you ... love me? I'm not a great person. I have many faults, I'm not the brightest person either... I'm not even a normal person in the first place... I'm a hybri-"

He couldn't finish his sentence when he got slapped across his face.

He widened his eyes when he noticed Rukia's trembling lip.

"Don't you dare call yourself that! You're an incredible person! Better than anyone else I know! You care so much about others that you always risk your life for them without any fear for yourself! You are smart and strong, kind and forgiving, I don't care what you are. For me, you are the one I admire the most!" She yelled at him and covered her mouth at the end.

Ichigo's eyes widened even further.

"I... I don't know what to say Rukia... it's... thank you. To hear what you think about me is giving me strength to say what I have to say but... Rukia, I have to be sure. I heard about the late Lieutenant of the 13th Division and... " He heard Rukia gasp and sighed.

"Look, Rukia... my appearance is similar to Kaien Shiba and I heard that he was the one you admired the most. Maybe I'm an asshole for even bringing that up, but are you sure that what you're feeling isn't just because of my similarity with him?" Ichigo stopped talking and waited with closed eyes.

Rukia meanwhile had a sad smile on her face.

'Kaien-san... ' She shook her head and inhaled deeply.

"No, I admit, I respected Kaien-san deeply. He was the first person after I was adopted by Kuchiki family, that took me for who I am, talked to me like I was just another officer and didn't care for my Kuchiki status. However, it has nothing to do with what I feel for you. You look almost identical to him, but you don't at the same time. I know who you are and I l-love the person who's standing in front of me, not the one that has been dead for a long time." She frowned when she noticed that Ichigo's shoulders dropped and he turned sideways.

'I guess this is it... I can only hope she won't hate me.'

"Rukia, I..." His breath got stuck in his throat when he glanced at her face. Words, that he planned before he came here were not coming to him.

"Yes?" She asked with small hope.

Ichigo mentally slapped himself. He had to close this.

"I'm sorry Rukia. I care about you deeply. We've spent a lot of time together and you helped me through very bad situations. Your words encouraged me when I was feeling down... but... I don't love you the way you want me to." He bit his lip when a single tear appeared on Rukia's face.

She clenched her hands and put them at her heart.

"Why?" She whispered and closed her eyes.

Ichigo tried to walk to her but she felt his movement and backed a little from him.

With his head down he mumbled.

"I just... I have no answer to that, Rukia. I'm only listening to what my gut tells me. You have many aspects that would make you a good girlfriend... you're smart, emphatic, pretty, strong... sometimes a little bit stubborn... you can keep most people in check... but I simply don't feel it. I know that if I didn't know you, my life would be worse than it is. But is that love?" He smiled sadly and turned to the doors.

He was sure that right now she needed space and his face was the last thing she wanted to see.

"My only hope is, that we can still be friends, but I'll understand if it's not possible." He swallowed a lump in his throat and walked away.

'I'm sorry, Rukia. I hope that you can forgive me...'

When he exited the office, Rukia's legs buckled under the emotional stress and she fell on the ground. Her tears started to pour in great numbers and she was desperately clutching her chest.

'I... I knew that it could happen...but it hurts so much... I can't leave it like that. I need him...'

She was trying not to break down, but there was nobody that could hold her, that could tell her that it would be okay.

**'It's alright Rukia... let it all out.'** Sode no Shirayuki appeared in front of her and said in a calm, but sad voice as she tried to console her.

Rukia glanced at her Zanpatkou. She almost forgot about her. Shirayuki kneeled next to her and quickly wrapped her in tight embrace.

Rukia couldn't take it anymore and broke down in sobs, while Shirayuki patted her back.

**'It'll be okay Rukia, just let it all out... it'll be allright...'**

* * *

'I wonder what's Ichigo doing.' Yoruichi thought as she was strolling down the streets of Seiretei. She left the Shiba's Manor a few moments ago and was considering returning to the World of Living to apologize Isshin for revealing his Shiba status to his son.

'Ah well, I could always take a nice dip in the open bath.' She grinned and sped to the training ground, she and Kisuke built a long time ago.

What she found, was however slightly damaged area with explosions surrounding it and a heavy reiatsu in the air. She recognized the spiritual pressure instantly.

'Ichigo... I guess he talked to Rukia.' Yoruichi frowned when she noticed that the reiatsu was giving off an irritated aura.

She slowly and stealthily jumped across the open area to the center of explosions.

Her eyes widened at the sight of destruction. Deep craters were everywhere, remaining energy slowly ascending from them. The air itself was even heavier with reaitsu, now that she got closer.

In the middle of the area was panting Ichigo , covered with sweat. His shinigami attire was ripped, showing more skin on his chest, that was too, covered with beads of sweat as he spurted a look of concentration on his face.

Yoruichi was staring at him and swallowed heavily.

In the next moments she felt him build up a reiatsu.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!" He yelled and wide torrent of blue energy shot from his hand, destroying boulders that stood in its way easily.

Yoruichi's eyes widened again.

'So he started to learn Kido and already can use Byakurai with its full strength. Nice, Ichigo.'

She raised her reiatsu a bit, to alert him of her presence so that he wouldn't be too surprised.

Then she remembered, that Ichigo sucked at sensing reiatsu.

She was getting up and going to announce her presence in verbal way, when Ichigo's voice interrupted her.

"What's up, Yoruichi-san?" He turned to her with a small frown, but when he noticed her slightly surprised expression, a small smile creeped on his face.

"You trained sensing reiatsu too?"

He chuckled a little.

"Not much, but even if I didn't, your reiatsu is so familiar to me that I could feel you as soon as you landed."

"Oh..." Yoruichi mumbled awkwardly.

"So? What are you doing here, Yoruichi-san? I doubt you knew I was here, so it's not because of me."

Yoruichi quickly shook off her surprise.

"I thought about going in that bath that's behind you, but now that you're here, we could go together... like the old times." She grinned a little when Ichigo's cheeks gained a slight pink color.

"Nah, I'm too ... restless right now. I wouldn't be able to relax." His smile slowly diminished as he remembered the reason he came here in the first place.

"You talked to Rukia." It wasn't a question and Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah... do you mind if we'd spar a little? Only Hakuda, since I want to improve myself in it too." Ichigo asked her suddenly.

Yoruichi wanted to object but she decided not to.

"I guess, but I heard that you did quite well against my little bee." Ichigo looked at her blankly at first, but he shook his head when it clicked to him, that she was talking about Sui-Feng.

'Talk about accurate nickname... she did sting me a little.' He mentally slapped himself.

"Quite good, but not good enough." He faced Yoruichi and got into a defensive stance.

Yoruichi smirked and did the same thing.

"Show me what you got, Ichigo-chan." She taunted him a little and ducked under a swift kick.

She grabbed the flying leg and with a quick turn, she smashed him on the ground.

Her eyes widened in surprise, when instead of biting the dust, he managed to recover with his hands and ricocheted from the ground, aiming a second kick which she barely dodged.

She jumped back from him and smirked again.

"Not bad, Ichigo-chan... not bad at all." She praised him a little and watched as his mouth twitched in suppressed smirk.

'My turn.' She thought and kicked herself off the ground and instantly flashed above Ichigo's head, trying to drop-kick him in the left shoulder.

'She's even faster than Sui-Feng.' Ichigo grimaced a little as he couldn't dodge entirely and she grazed his skin a little.

'Well, I wanted to improve. Who's better to train me than the Goddess of Flash.'

He was on the defensive, as she shot a barrage of kicks at his midsection, which he had to block with his hands and he silently thanked Shirosaki for his Hierro.

In the millisecond, when Yoruichi was recovering from her surprise at him blocking all of her kicks, he grabbed her knee and sidestepped her, throwing her away in the process.

She landed on all four few meters away from him.

'She's faster than me, I have to admit.' He didn't have time to think more as she flashed again and he raised his hands to block her kick again, when she suddenly flashed in midair and next thing he knew, he was feeling a little sting on his back.

'Damn her Shunpo.'

He recovered from the kick and flipped himself on hands and landed in the crouch.

"You're quite fast, aren't you, Yoruichi-san?"

"Yeah and you're still quite calm, what gives?" She grinned with satisfaction.

"Because-"

Ichigo flashed in front of her.

She was already in the process of throwing a punch at his midsection when he flashed the same way as she did a moment before and reappeared behind her.

"-I'm fast too." He finished cheekily and swiped her legs successfully.

With his instinct screaming at him, he reflexively caught her ankle, which was only few inched from his face as she tried to kick him instantly after supporting herself on her hands.

Swallowing his pride and reminding himself that this was only a spar he kicked her in the stomach and send her flying.

'Well, she IS the ex-captain of 2nd Division. She can take the hits.'

Yoruichi skidded a little, till she used the momentum and flipped herself. She grimaced and clutched her abdomen.

'Damn, he got me. I almost can't believe it. But he held back with that kick, I can tell.' She coughed a little and stood back up. Her smirk now gone she flashed to Ichigo, throwing a sharp punch at his jaw, which he dodged.

His leg already in the air, she jumped and used that leg as a springboard and kicked him in the jaw, spinning herself and landing in front of him.

Ichigo staggered a little and cursed mentally.

Both of the combatants cracked their knuckles and got into the stance again.

After ten more minutes, they were both panting a little, sweat rolling off their faces. Ichigo was spurting a little more sweat, as he was blowing off some steam before they even begun their spar.

Ichigo's attire was now almost completely torn at his upper body and a few scratches and bruises were left on his shoulders, chest and jaw.

Yoruichi, on the other hand, took her top off a little while back. Her hands had some cuts on themselves, she had busted lip but her smirk was back.

With a light breeze blowing off the dust around them, they flashed and met on the halfway, with ichigo throwing a hard punch on her left shoulder and Yoruichi kicking his knee. In the last moment, Yoruichi jerked herself, narrowly evading the punch and spun herself on his shoulders.

She landed on his back with her knees, sending them both at the ground, while Yoruichi crouched on him, pinning him down on the ground.

"Fine, I yield!" Ichigo grumbled making Yoruichi smirk victoriously.

She got off him and helped him back on his feet.

They shook hands with a grin.

"Thanks, Yoruichi-san, I needed this."

She slapped him on his back, making him wince a little.

"No problem, you can always use me." She grinned at him but then froze at the not intended double meaning.

Fortunately, it didn't seem he noticed and she released the breath she seemed to be holding.

"Ow, I think I'll use that healing water. I'm beat." Ichigo grumbled and with a sigh he walked to boulders that shadowed the bath.

A small grin found its was on Yoruichi's face.

'Hmm... I wanted to take a dip in the first place, why not join him.' She chuckled and silently followed him.

She found him already in the water, enjoying it with closed eyes. She dropped the clothes and slowly walked in the bath, trying not to alert him.

"You know, Yoruichi-san. I hope you're in your cat form or this will be quite awkward." Ichigo said, startling her a little.

'Please be a cat, please be a cat...' Ichigo mentally prayed and almost jumped when he felt another skin touching his shoulder.

"Oh, come one Ichigo, loosen up." Yoruichi whispered into his ears, making Ichigo shift his position a little, as her close presence seemed to awaken some ... parts of his anatomy.

"And open your eyes, I'm not gonna bite you." She laughed a little.

'Well, at least not yeeeeet... kitty, you need to stop now...' Yoruichi mentally slapped herself, trying to cool down.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and gulped, when he noticed a naked Yoruichi, dipped in the water just enough for him to see only the parts she was comfortable with, leaning on his shoulder.

"You're being awfully brave these days, Yoruichi-san..." Ichigo shuddered as she got more comfortable and accidentally showed him more skin.

"Hm, you don't like it?" She asked in sultry voice.

He sighed and shook his head.

"To be honest, I think I'm slowly getting used to it." He said with closed eyes and therefore didn't notice Yoruichi's surprised face.

She allowed herself a little smile and a content sigh escaped her lips.

"I talked to Rukia." Her eyes snapped open at his neutral voice and glanced at him.

He was keeping his eyes closed, but a little frown appeared on his face, little bit hidden behind his orange hair.

'I almost thought he didn't want to talk about it.'

"So? How did it go?" She asked quietly.

She felt him tense a little and so she turned him around, with his back in front of her.

Ichigo almost yelped in surprise when he felt her small fingers kneading his shoulders.

"What, what are you doing, Yoruichi-san?"

She put a finger on his mouth from behind him and hushed him.

"Shh, you're a bit stiff so I'm giving you a massage. Don't get used to it though."

Ichigo smiled and relaxed into her touch. A small blush found its way on his face when she let him lean on her and he could feel her breasts pushed against his back.

He moaned a little when her hands found an especially sore spot.

Yoruichi fought her own small blush at his moan and cleared her throat nervously.

'Calm down kitten, you've never been embarrassed like this before.'

"What did you tell her?" She asked.

A deep sigh escaped Ichigo's mouth.

"I asked her why she loves me. I wanted to find out, if she was just confused like Orihime. Turned out, she wasn't. I think she really loves me." When he felt that Yoruichi's hands stopped for a moment he tried to turn his head and glance at her, but she quickly pushed his head back.

"You know that I'm naked right? No turning head." She whispered into his ear.

When she was sure he listened to her, she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"That's... that's great, right? She's sure about her feelings and you can now be together. Speaking of that, I probably shouldn't be here with you, if she saw us-."

Ichigo interrupted her with a sharp shake of his head.

"I don't feel the same way she does, Yoruichi-san. I don't know if I handled it well... I swear I could see tears in her eyes... I'm really trash, aren't I?" He dropped his head and clenched his fists underwater.

"I know how she feels and yet I betrayed her by denying her what she wants. She loves and she's a wonderful person too, probably the best I could hope for. Yet I still cast her away, just like I did with Orihime, Tatsuki... I'm a coward who tried to rationalize something that can't be explained... maybe I should have tried it with her... I... don't know..." He muttered in low voice.

Yoruichi watched as his hunched back with a frown and a little bit of...

Ichigo widened his eyes when he suddenly felt her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulder.

"Wha-?"

"Be quiet."

He gulped and nodded.

Yoruichi gripped him more tightly and leaned her cheek on the back of his neck.

"Stop with that kind of talk, Ichigo. You're not a trash just because you didn't respond to her feelings. You're simply young and not sure what you're feeling. Everyone is insecure in your age. Hell even I had my own insecurities when I was your age. Nobody is perfect but you're one of those people who strive to be exactly that. That's what I admire about you. You always want to be the best you can be. You have a strong sense of responsibility. Do you even realize what does this mean? That you're even cursing yourself for rejecting her?" She nudged him with her nose.

"It means you're already far more than a trash. It means you're more than most of people I know. You want everyone to be happy, but I'm afraid that's something that can't be done. In your life, you'll probably learn that for yourself, so I won't try to talk some sense into you. Ichigo, you are a good person and that you don't feel the same way as those girls isn't a crime. It's just how life is. They'll get over it. If it's not meant to be, it won't be. It's just that simple. You'll find somebody for yourself in time. Don't rush it, just because of these confessions. Try to ease a bit and you can rely on those around you. You can rely on me as I'm here for you."

She noticed that one of his hands was gripping hers and she smiled a little. This wasn't Ichigo she knew. The person in front of her was just a young boy with ordinary problems, someone, who wasn't just a machine.

Someone, who was human.

She felt him move and saw him raise his second hand. Since she was hugging him from behind, she didn't know what he did, but she heard him sniffle and her eyes filled itself with warmth.

"Ichigo..."

He motioned her to release him and straightened his back a bit.

"Thank you, Yoruichi-san. It seems that you know me the best... I'm better now." He said without turning and coughed.

"But I'm gonna carve this memory of you hugging me with your bosom into my brain, so that I'll never forget it." He turned and grinned at her cheekily, his blush now visible only as a slightly pink cheeks.

Yoruichi gaped at him and blushed a little too.

She whacked him on the head and ordered him to turn away.

"Pervert." She muttered and went to put her clothes on with a warm smile.

Ichigo just chuckled and inhaled deeply.

'Thanks, Yoruichi-san. I almost gave Zangetsu another rain.'

* * *

After relaxing in a bath for a few more minutes, Ichigo dressed and left the training grounds with the intention to further train himself.

'Zangetsu, are you there?' He asked mentally.

**'Of course, Ichigo.'** Zangetsu's deep voice answered him.

'I promised to train with you so... how do we do it?'

Zengetsu seemed to ponder about it for a moment and then shook his head, not that Ichigo could have seen it.

**'Right now, we won't train, yet. I want you to go to the 4th Division and visit Unohana. You mentioned that you wanted to learn healing Kido too and she's the perfect person for that. She'll probably help you further with your control of reiatsu and that could help you out in my training. But after that, I promise, we'll train.'** Zangetsu nodded to himself.

Ichigo gulped heavily.

'Do...do I have to go to Unohana-san? You know how she is.' He laughed a little nervously which only amused Zangetsu.

**'Oh? Don't tell me you're afraid of an innocent healer, Ichigo.'**

Ichigo grimaced and shook his head instantly.

'Innocent my ass... she's ... giving me the creeps.'

**'Well, just take it as another form of training. Overcome your fear of creepy healers.' **Ichigo pouted when he heard Zangetsu laughing in his mind.

'Screw you, Zangetsu.' He hmphed and shut his mental link with his zanpaktou, who was still laughing.

He found Unohana quite quickly, since most of the patients were already released, leaving only few heavily wounded in the barracks. When she saw him knock nervously on the door of her office, Unohana allowed herself a small smile.

'I'm here for the second time today...must be a new record.' Ichigo thought bitterly.

"Yes, Kurosaki-san? How can I help you?"

Ichigo gulped at her sweet tone and avoided her stare.

"Uhm, if... if it wouldn't be too much to ask, could you... you know, teach me some healing Kido, Unohana-san?"

She widened her eyes in surprise and motioned him to come in. After Ichigo sat down on the chair in front of her, she gazed at him without blinking.

"Why?" She asked simply.

Ichigo raised his head and put his hands on the desk.

"You already know that I've been training for a few days. I was able to learn some Kido yesterday and I'm planning to finally train with Zangetsu, my Zanpaktou. To do that however, he told me to try to learn more control of my reiatsu. I think that learning healing Kido requires an amazing control of your reiatsu so I thought I'd try that. Besides, I may have high-speed regeneration, but my friends do not and there were moments when they were left seriously injured and I couldn't do a thing to help them... no more. If I can learn at least the basics, it would still be great." He said and met her gaze, in which Unohana could only see determination, pure determination.

She smiled more and put her hand on his. Ichigo resisted the urge to run and raised an eyebrow.

"I only wanted to hear your reasons, Kurosaki-san, nothing more. That you want to be able to help your friends in need is ... well, I don't think a healer needs a different reason. Come with me, I can show you the basics quite quickly and after that, Isane will help you to improve further. I apologize for that, but being a Captain, I don't have that much free time." She smiled apologetically at him and motioned him to follow her.

That way she didn't notice the relieved sigh that escaped Ichigo's mouth.

He followed her in silence through the corridors of barracks of the 4th division and after few minutes, they emerged in a small room, with almost no furniture, with a small statue and a table with incense.

She sat down in front of the small statue and nodded to Ichigo to do the same.

"Where are we, Unohana-san?" He asked cautiously.

"This is something akin to a shrine for us, members of medical division. We often come here to relax our minds and bodies. This statue is emitting weak spiritual energy that helps you recover after a hard day and the incense is filled with medical herbs and relaxing odor, which helps you to relax."

She turned and lighted the small accessory.

"It also serve as a training room, where thanks to the statue and incense we can train and improve our skills in more calming enviroment."

Ichigo looked around in wonder and frowned.

"But don't you need an injured person to improve your medical skills?"

Unohana smiled and shook her head.

"Whatever gave you that idea, Kurosaki-san? No, of course not, that would be highly impractical. Only thing you need is control, precision and being calm."

Ichigo laughed embarrassedly and looked at the ground in shame.

"You didn't know. It's understandable that you'd think that, despite what I'm saying. Now. You need to know what to do if you want to use Kaido. It's actually very simple to understand but harder to do." Unohana said and held her hand, which was glowing with green light, in front of his eyes.

"I'm guessing that you can feel what's emitting from my hand?" She asked Ichigo after a moment and looked at him expectantly.

"Yes, it's your spiritual energy... but it's somewhat different... it's almost as if I could feel... kindness? If it makes any sense." Ichigo replied confused.

She gave him a wide smile and nodded.

"Yes, very good, Kurosaki-san. You almost got it completely right. The process of healing a person is by restoring the patient's reiatsu at the beginning, so we could use his own reiatsu to start the healing process and then we mix our on reiatsu. This is quite easy, you simply focus your energy to the palm of your hand, choose the proper amount of energy you want to restore and you will it into the patient's body. Of course, you have to take into account, that every patient is different and not everyone can absorb big amounts of it. You need to be gentle and do it slowly in small doses, so that the body would naturally begin to absorb." She stopped and waited for Ichigo to nod in understatement.

"We can start with that. Try to restore a bit of my reiatsu. I managed to deplete my reserves a bit, so I should be able to absorb quite easily. Oh and before you try, focus on your shinigami reiatsu only. I'm positive that you can heal other hollows with your hollow energy, but I don't think it would be possible with shinigami."

Ichigo nodded and raised his hand. His eyes almost jumped out of their sockets however, when Unohana started to take her robe off.

"U-unohana-san? What are you doing?" He asked trying to look away.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? It's best if you try it while touching the actual skin at first. It wouldn't work just with my hand as you need more surface than a simple hand can offer, since you're a beginner. My back should be good enough." She smiled innocently and turned around.

Meanwhile, Ichigo sweatdropped and gaped at her. He quickly shook his head to clear it, when Unohana pulled her robe down a bit so that her back was visible.

"You can put your hands on my back now, Kurosaki-san." She said, making Ichigo gulp.

With a slight hesitation he slowly touched her back, feeling her jerk a bit from the contact.

'Whoa, her skin is so soft, hmm...'

'...'

'Did I just think that?' Ichigo mentally facepalmed and tried to concentrate.

"Remember, Kurosaki-san. Focus on your energy and let it flow to your hands, then slowly will it on my skin in small doses." She reminded him and waited.

'Okay. Easy enough. I've already did something similar while learning Kido with Hacchi.'

He slowly reached into his reiatsu reserves in form of the bottomless dam and let a small amount to flow into his palms.

When he was sure he had it right, he pushed and willed it into Unohana. His concentration broke when he heard her gasp and shudder a little.

"Are you alright, Unohana-san?"He asked in alarm.

"Y-yes, you just used too much of your reiatsu and it surprised me. Try to lessen the amount. Normal officer could get into shock after being exposed to this much." She breathed out and nodded to him.

'Shit, even this is too much?' Ichigo cursed mentally and furiously tried to cut the flow to his hand into pieces. He allowed only a tiny stream of it into his palms and prepared for his second attempt.

Again he willed his reiatsu into the Captain in front of him. He almost sighed in relief when he heard no more gasps.

Instead he heard a small moan and shook his head exasperatedly.

'Why do I have the feeling that this is not a normal reaction?... To hell with it, this probably isn't even a proper method of training. I can't imagine Hanatarou doing this stuff.'

"Yes, Kurosaki-san, that's good. Exactly like this." Unohana mumbled leaving Ichigo blushing a little.

'Damn my imagination is getting more wild every day. It must be Shirosaki's fault!' He screamed internally and tried to remain focused.

After a few more seconds, he felt Unohana move a bit, so he stopped the flow of his reiatsu and put his hands down.

"Okay, Kurosaki-san, this should be enough. You know know how much reiatsu you can use while helping a Captain class fighter. If you want to help somebody weaker, tone down your flow of reiatsu further."

He watched her put her robe back on and frowned when he remembered something.

"It's strange, though. To help a shinigami, I have to almost completely cut off the flow of my reiatsu, but when I was doing the similar thing to those Arrancars, Harribel and her Fracción, I was using a lot more hollow energy yet I didn't hurt them... " He rubbed his chin in wonder.

"It's probably because of the nature of hollows, as they are used to absorb energy from others as they devour them. The Arrancars are evolved forms of hollows, but their bodies still remeber the sensation." Unohana answered him and turned around to face him again.

She was spurting a little blush on her cheeks and her breathing seemed to be elevated but Ichigo decided to not pay it any attention.

'The less I know, the happier I am.' He convinced himself.

"Now for the second part, Kurosaki-san." Unohana said and shifter herself to get more comfortable.

"As you could see, the reiatsu you were emitting from the palms of your hands didn't have green color. The reason is because you didn't know this most important part. You said it yourself, that you felt something like kindness in my reiatsu, when I showed you the 'healing palm'. The exact term would be...hmm... let me put it this way. To be able to successfully heal somebody, your reiatsu must be devoid of any ill intents. That's why we, the medics, have to calm ourselves a little before the actual healing, and that we are calm people in general. Your mind must be at total peace, you have to be in total control of your emotions. The only thing that your whole being have to be focused on, is to emit positive emotions, the desire to genuinely help the patient, the need to see the one before you get better. It's not as easy as it sounds, mind you." She explained to Ichigo, expecting him to scoff and say 'that's easy'.

It was after she glanced at him, she remembered, who exactly was there with her.

Ichigo's face showed amazement and respect that made her smile again.

"This sounds easy? Are you serious? Acquiring bankai was easier than this. I know very well how hard it is to be in complete control of yourself. So is that the reason why there are ranks even in medical division? I mean, it sounds logical to me, that the higher rank you have as a medic, the more proficient you are in controlling your mind, right? I guess it's about the reiatsu levels too, but this is the main reason, isn't it?" Ichigo was thinking loudly.

Unohana widened her eyes in light surprise.

"Yes, how very insightful of you, Kurosaki-san. It's exactly as you say. The more proficient you are in controlling your emotions and your mind, the higher rank you are. It took me a long time to get where I am now. I hope that one day Isane could take my position, as she has been able to improve herself drastically in a short time and she's only slightly worse in controlling herself than I am myself. She has other flaws, but I trust her skills. I'm very interested, however, in how well you can perform, now that you know what to do, Kurosaki-san." She looked at him expectantly.

Ichigo grimaced and looked at his own hands.

"I don't think I'll impress you, Unohana-san. Since merging with Shirosaki, I'm discovering that my emotions are harder to control than before. Probably because he's my instinct, as he calls it, and it amplifies the things I feel." He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Unohana looking at him with warm smile.

"It doesn't matter how well you do, Kurosaki-san. I was just kidding. It would be a great success if you could heal only a small cut. It takes a great amount of practice to do more."

She took out her zanpaktou and made a small cut on her finger that bled lightly.

"I want you to focus on everything I said so far and try to close this small wound."

Ichigo raised his hands and put them around her bleeding finger. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

'I know the first step and now I have to add positive emotions, right?' His mind started to wander around his happy memories with his mother and with his sisters.

Not long after that the scene shifted to the one with heavy rain falling down on him and with something heavy pushing him down.

It was the memory of the day his mother died.

He tried to push it away as he already lived through this painful memory many times ever since it happened.

He felt however, slightly dizzy as his vision blurred a little and darkness threatened to overwhelm him.

'Always the same, huh?' Ichigo thought.

Every time this particular memory came out, he always blacked out at this point. He always thought that it was because when it really happened in the past, he simply fainted.

This time however, just a short moment before his vision disappeared, he heard an unfamiliar voice.

He couldn't understand what was the voice saying, but at the end the voice laughed just as he finally blacked out.

Unohana was watching Ichigo's face carefully and felt his reiatsu shifting. When he put his hands around her finger and started to channel his energy, she was sure, that he could do some progress. He even managed to change his reiatsu around his hands to a shade of green before it flickered and started to darken.

Alarms went off in her head when the color settled on black and she noticed that he was sweating profusely and mumbling incoherently.

She quickly grabbed him by the collar and shook him a little.

"Kurosaki-san, wake up."

"..."

'What's going on?' She thought in concern and shook him again.

When he didn't respond, she slapped him lightly on the cheek.

His eyes flickered and she sighed in relief as he slowly noticed his surroundings.

"Ugh, what... what the hell happened?" He groaned and held his head in his hands.

Unohana watched him shook his head and immediately he flinched.

"What's wrong, Kuosaki-san?" She was beginning to worry. Nothing like this ever happened while trying to learn medical Kido.

"I... my head hurts like crazy. I think I should go and find some vacant bed." He tried to stand up and staggered a little.

Unohana quickly helped him by letting him lean on her and walked with him to the main medical room.

They found a free bed and Ichigo quickly lied down, groaning again.

She quickly raised her hand and examined him with her healing palm, trying to uncover some hidden injury. Her face formed a frown however, when she found nothing.

"What happened, Kurosaki-san?" She asked quietly.

Ichigo let his hands fall down on the blanket under him and sighed.

"I'm not sure... I was trying to concentrate on my happy feeling but then my mind shifted to a memory on its own."

"What was the memory?" Unohana asked curiously, for a moment forgetting about courtesy.

"When my mother died." Ichigo replied evenly, glancing at her.

"Oh."

He rolled on his right and sighed again.

"If you don't mind, Unohana-san, I think I should sleep it off. I'm very thankful for your help, though. I now know what I should do, if I want to help somebody. I'll be back for some more guidance for sure."

Unohana nodded and before her departure, she turned her head slightly.

"Take your time, Kurosaki-san and don't rush it. Learning how to heal takes more time that you'd think. If I'm not available, you can ask Isane as I said before. Sleep well." She said and left the room, leaving Ichigo alone with his thoughts.

'Who the hell was that person in my memory...?' Ichigo thought slightly angry before slowly drifting to a sleep.

* * *

**'Wake up, Ichigo. It is time to train... time to release the power that has been sleeping till now.'**

Ichigo woke up at the sound of Zangetsu calling out to him. He was feeling rather refreshed, considering the fact that he had a headache before going to sleep.

'Now? I just woke up.' Ichigo whined and stretched himself on the bed.

**'Now, Ichigo... your shinigami powers are impatient and they want to be finally used.'**

This got Ichigo's attention.

'What are you talking about? Finally used?'

He was met with silence and was already forming another question, when the familiar voice stopped him.

**'Later. Go to the training grounds, where you trained with me for bankai.'**

Ichigo frowned at the tone but listened nevertheless.

He got out of the 4th Division in a short time and proceeded to flash to the mentioned place.

When he got there, he noticed that nobody was here and he sighed in relief. He was hoping that Yoruichi wouldn't be there, as he was somehow sure, that his zanpaktou will beat the crap out of him during their training.

'I'm here, Zangetsu. What now?'

Instead of answering, man in a black cloak appeared suddenly in front of him with a stern look.

"Uhm, Zangetsu, what's with that look?" Ichigo asked nervously.

**"Ichigo. You asked what I was talking about, when I mentioned you'll be finally using your shinigami powers." **Zangetsu said, keeping his voice as sharp as his look.

Ichigo nodded with a small frown.

"Yeah."

He watched as Zangetsu looked away and for a moment nobody spoke.

**"I meant that you'll be finally using the powers of your zanapktou. Till now, your only attack was Getsuga Tensho... but Ichigo... that's not originally a technique of Zangetsu."** Zangetsu said and watched Ichigo's mouth open in shock.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

**"Getsuga Tensho is a simple attack of gathering your reishi into the blade and releasing its condensed form in the form of the crescent-shaped energy... and every zanpaktou of the 'getsu' type can use it. Even Aizen would be able to do it, if he knew about it but I guess Kyoka never mentioned it to him."**

Ichigo tried to say something but for the second time in this week he couldn't find his voice.

**"You only used your own reishi to fuel the Getsuga. Yes, you borrowed some power from me before, or from your hollow powers, but it's still a generic attack. You don't know the true power of Zangetsu. Since merging with Shirosaki, this power was struggling to get free, so that you would use it. Zangetsu means 'Slaying moon'. Tell me Ichigo, what do you picture, when you think about the moon?"** Zangetsu asked the silent Ichigo.

When he noticed that no answer was coming out of Ichigo's mouth he sighed.

**"The right answer is 'Darkness', Ichigo. Moon is always surrounded with darkness, as it can only rise in the night. Indeed... the true power of Zangetsu is the darkness or rather the 'Flames of the Darkness'."** The cloak that Zangetsu wore slowly shifted its form and was looking like a black flame surrounding him.

Ichigo was speechless. Not even one thought pierced his stunned mind. It was beyond comprehension for him.

**"Why do you think that the getsuga in your bankai was black in color? You thought it was because of Shirosaki? Wrong. In your current bankai you used to call upon the true form of your zanpatkou power. It was forceful and thus your Kuroi Getsuga was weaker than the one Shirosaki was able to use. But it was something... even if by small margin, you incorporated your true power into the basic Getusga, changing it into something new. Of course, you could protest that your Kuroi Getsuga had the hollow feel into it, but it's only because you were using it while ****also **unconsciously using your hollow powers."

When Ichigo didn't move, Zangetsu sighed again,

**'I just hope that he can take what I'm saying to him... damn you Zangetsu... you could have waited a little bit longer.' **Zangetsu cursed and the only response was a slight grunt from the back of Ichigo's mind.

**'Yes, I know that... but still, I can't say what I am right now... our agreement must hold a little bit longer.'**

After a few minutes he noticed that Ichigo finally started to show signs of life.

"Wh-what does this mean?" Ichigo asked in absolute confusion.

**"It means that you need to release you zanpaktou to see its true form, Ichigo."**

Ichigo blinked and looked at him in disbelief.

"But how? I'm already in shikai."

Zangetsu only looked at him.

**"Amuse me, Ichigo... you should know the phrase by now."**

"What are y-" Ichigo protested when he heard a whisper from the back of his mind.

His eyes widened and he raised his blade.

"Set the darkness ablaze, Zangetsu!" He yelled and had to squint his eyes, when a wave of reiatsu phased through him.

He blinked and looked at his zanpaktou.

...

He blinked again.

In his hands was the same old huge cleaver he was used to... only with a small but drastic changes. The hilt was now present, the blade has a slight curve at its beginning and its blade was covered in black flames.

If he wasn't in such shock, he would have dropped his zanpaktou in surprise. Instead, he examined it in awe. He looked back at Zangetsu standing in front of him.

"It's ... amazing. It feels different and yet the same at the same time... I don't know how to describe it... it just feels ... right."

He swung it lightly around himself and noticed that the flames were heating the air around him but strangely it didn't bother him.

**"It's your power, of course it can't bother you."** Zangetsu voiced Ichigo's thoughts.

"What it can do? I mean the flames?" Ichigo asked in wonder.

**"Well, they can burn."** Ichigo fell comically on the ground.

"I know that!" He yelled with red face.

**"The other thing it can do... every person who's being burned by it feels every horrible thing he did in his lifetime. He feels the pain of his victims, their suffering... every little crime is used against him and force him to feel the darkness within him. It has its weaknesses as anything else. Enemy with a will strong enough, or with a mind in absolute control can lessen or almost completely negate its effects and the darkness can't affect pure beings... the ones, who never comitted any crime. But in their case, they feel their every dark emotion amplified. And the ones who live in darkness are not affected by it too."** Zangetsu said in serious voice.

Ichigo shuddered.

"That's ... a nasty ability. I can always extinguish the flames on somebody, right?" He asked with a frown.

He never liked and believed in torturing his enemies.

**"Yes, of course."**

"But how can I release zangetsu again? I mean, wasn't I in shikai till now?"

Zangetsu thought about it for a moment.

**"You can say that what you've been using till now was an incomplete shikai. You never used a real asauchi before, therefore your blade had to be in that incomplete state."**

He saw Ichigo opening his mouth and quickly put his hand in front of him.

**"That's nothing you should be concerned about right now. What you should be concerned about is trying to learn its new abilities. Today, you'll learn two techniques, one for attacking and one for defending. The first one is called: 'Angetsu no Ka' or 'Fire of the dark moon'. Its main purpose is to deliver the flames of darkness onto your opponent, dealing injuries and the already mentioned effect of the black flames. To use it, focus your energy into the sword, same as with the Getsuga Tensho, but this time, don't think about your reishi as the simple energy, but as the dark flames, then release it."** Zangetsu explained and motioned Ichigo to try it.

The said person nodded and still in awe at his slightly new zanpaktou he did as instructed.

"Angetsu no Ka!" He yelled and released the attack.

He almost yelped when a huge wave of black reiatsu emerged from his blade and shot forward, burning everything in its path, leaving scorched ground and roasted boulders after it.

"Wow." Ichigo said impressed.

'The magnitude of the attack is slightly bigger than my regular getsuga, power required is roughly the same but the area affected is wider.' He thought and turned to Zangetsu.

**"Very good. You can control the amount of the energy put into it in the same way as with the getsuga. The second ability is called: 'Yami no Tsukitate' or 'Lunar shield of Darkness'. It creates a black shield in front of you, blocking physical and energy attacks and burning anything it comes in contact with. Very usefull ability, especially for someone like you, who likes to jump in every dangerous situation without thinking first." **Zangetsu explained the second ability and glanced at Ichigo who looked down in shame.

He rubbed his neck and laughed nervously.

'I think I deserved that one...'

**"To use the shield, focus on the energy as the flames, just like with the Angetsu no Ka and concentrate it into one small point at the end of the blade and slash down."**

Ichigo nodded in understatement and focused on his energy.

It took him a little bit longer this time, as he had some troubles guiding the flames into the one concentrated spot.

When he was sure he got the amount right, he slashed down and exclaimed.

"Yami no Tsukitate!" And before his very eyes a medium-sized shield, just big enough to cover him, erupted from his blade and positioned itself in front of him, shielding him perfectly.

**"As expected from you, Ichigo. Now do it again, this time you have to use it faster. In real battle you don't have that much time to prepare it. You'll train until you can do it in an instant." **Zangetsu commanded strictly and a bead of sweat formed on Ichigo's forehead.

'I'm starting to think that Shirosaki isn't the only one who's merciless.'

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit. I'm betting that he'll be pissed." Yoruichi cursed under her breath as she was flashing towards the reiatsu of one orange-haired shinigami.

Few minutes ago, as she was relaxing with Urahara in his shop, an unexpected guest showed up, beaten up and in a bad condition with an even worse message.

"I don't envy those bastards who did it." She shook her head and frowned, when she realized that his reiatsu signature was originating from the training grounds, she and Urahara built.

"He's training again?"

As she got closer, she noticed that the air was getting warmer every few meters.

'What is he doing?'

She finally dropped in front of Ichigo, as he was just done with putting his clothes back on.

He jumped in surprise when he noticed her.

"Yoruichi-san? What are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" She asked him with a frown.

He almost said that he was training but he noticed that she was little out of breath.

"What's wrong Yoruichi-san? Why were you rushing here?" His eyes showed concern and she felt a warm feeling in her chest.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"It's Nel... she showed up just a few moments ago in Kisuke's shop... Ichigo... she's been beaten quite badly... " Yoruichi said and watched as his warm smile turned into angry frown and the air around him got heavy.

"Take me to her."

**End of chapter 7.**

**I'm sorry about this, but I won't post the name of the next chapter now, since I'm still in process of figuring it out myself.**

**Only thing I can tell you is the fact, that we'll be leaving Soul Society for a while ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Hueco Mundo part 1

**Time for yet another chapter!**

**I won't spoil you anything but since many of you guessed what will this chapter be about... don't think I'll blindly follow the canon.  
Sure, there will be many things from it, but they will be changed. Some more and some less, but changed nevertheless.**

**As I said in my profile, I have this arc planned quite precisely and it will last for at least two more chapters and at the end of this Hueco Mundo arc, you'll get some of the facts I came up with about the origins of bleach-verse.**

**Rest of the story isn't planned that much, but I know where I want it to go and I'll let you on the secret.**

**The ending is already written and I think it'll be satisfactory. But we won't reach it that quickly, there will be another small arc after this one, some chapters without any arc and only after that I'll go to the finale... and let me tell you, the finale will last for many chapters... I hope.**

**Chapter 8 – Hueco Mundo pt.1 (Wrath of the Protector)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"I'm ... sorry... for being... a bother..." Nel gasped through the shallow breaths.

"Don't talk, young lady." Tessai hushed her and wiped a sweat from his brow.

Ever since the green-haired Arrancar showed up on the doorsteps of the Urahara's shop and fainted just after walking in, Tessai has been trying to heal her most grave injuries, although he was getting nowhere and slightly desperate. Nothing he has done till now worked on the Arrancar.

'And I am supposed to be the Captain of Kido Corps...' He cursed himself mentally and concentrated again.

Urahara was sitting next to him with a frown on his face, hidden behind his fan. He wasn't worried about the patient as he was sure that she would get better in no time.

No, he was worried about the reaction of one young, substitute shinigami, who was probably on his way right now.

'Maybe I shouldn't have let Yoruichi get him. We should have solved this without him. From what I heard, this girl is precious to him and if he sees her like this... oh boy... '

The only thing that the shopkeeper was able to get out from Nel, was the fact, that while they were trying to live in Las Noches, they were attacked last night.

After she managed to stutter that out, she fainted again.

He turned his head when he heard some loud noise.

"Where is she?! Urahara-san! Where the fuck are you?!" Angry voice of Ichigo Kurosaki entered the room in which they were trying to heal Nel.

'Oh boy indeed...' Urahara thought and quickly moved from his position in front of the doors.

His action probably saved him some bruises, as a moment after that, the doors were kicked down and he noticed orange hair.

He immediately moved to calm the teen down, but after he noticed Ichigo's stare, he gulped and uncharacteristically didn't say anything.

'No way...' Ichigo thought when he entered the the room and got a good look at the childish Arrancar that helped him so much.

"Nel..." He whispered and kneeled next to her. With his jaws clenched, he had to gain control of his own stomach when he took a closer look at her.

She was a mess. Her clothes were ripped apart and were only covering her modesty. She was missing half of her left leg to the knee, with deep gashes on the other one and was bleeding profusely.

There was a gaping hole, at least few inches in diameter at the center of her stomach and Ichigo could swear that he could see the ground she was lying on through it.

As if it wasn't enough, she was spurting bruises all over, her lips were busted, and she was bleeding from a small wound above her eyebrows.

The worst were her arms.

They were both broken, bones protruding from the wrists, showing their white color to all of them.

"Jesus fucking..." Ichigo bit his lip, keeping himself from bursting from rage. His reiatsu was already flowing heavily through the air, wildly heating it with its fiery nature.

He clenched his fists and turned to Tessai.

"How is she?" He asked the Kido master.

Said person shook his head in frustration.

"She's in bad condition, my Kido isn't working for some reason. I healed Vizards in the past so I thought that I could heal Arrancars too, but it seems I can't."

Ichigo closed in eyes and tried to calm down.

"Move." He said to Tessai and put his hands on Nel's stomach.

The ex-Captain wanted to protest, but he noticed Yoruichi, who was standing behind Ichigo, shaking her head. So he moved away and watched the teen with curious expression.

'She can't die... she won't die...' Ichigo thought and began to draw upon his hollow energy.

After a minute, he had to close his eyes, as seeing Nel so beaten up was disturbing his concentration.

When nothing happened for several minutes and the only thing that could be heard were Nel's gasps of breath, Urahara wanted to interrupt, but a sudden surge of reiatsu flowed into Ichigo's hands so he sit back down.

'Don't you dare, Nel. Hang in there.' Ichigo thought and pushed more of his energy into her.

Small bead of sweat was starting to form on his brow.

'Damn, doesn't she posses high-speed regeneration or what?' Ichigo thought alarmed when nothing happened after two more minutes.

When he wanted to call out to her, he heard a small gasp, different from the ones she was making till now.

He dared to open his eyes and with a relieved sigh he noticed that the tissue damage and the bones in her arms were slowly repairing itself and the missing leg was slowly starting to form new bone and muscles around it.

After few more moments, Nel tiredly blinked and her eyes darted around herself in confusion. When she noticed Ichigo's concerned face hovering above her, his brow crooked in concentration, a small smile formed on her face.

"Hey, Icchi." She said in a weak voice.

"Hey yourself." Ichigo replied quietly.

'Icchi?' Yoruichi thought in irritation.

'Oooh, I see something amusing.' Urahara grinned after noticing Yoruichi's mouth twitching.

Tessai only shook his head and glanced at Ichigo.

'Full of surprises as always, Ichigo-san.'

"How are you feeling, Nel?" Ichigo asked her in concern.

She just smiled at him but then her eyes widened as she remembered the reason she came to the World of the Living in the first place.

She tried to sit down but a sharp pain halted her actions and she grunted in pain.

"Easy there girl. You're still in bad shape." Yoruichi called to her.

Ichigo helped her to lie down again and stared at her.

"What's going on, Nel? What happened to you?"

He noticed that she clenched her fists and a tears formed in her eyes.

"Nel?" He asked in alarm.

"Remember when you told us to go back to Las Noches and live there together?" She said suddenly.

"Yeah?" Ichigo looked at her in confusion.

"We did and we even found Grimmjow lying in a pool of his own blood. We managed to save him though and for the past few days, we finally had some peace, although we were getting worried about Lilynette... " She trailed off and looked at the ceiling.

Others were patiently waiting for her to continue. She blinked and cleared her throat.

"Last night... we were attacked. It was so sudden, we didn't know what was happening. I mean... Harribel should be the strongest person in Hueco Mundo right now so we thought that noone would dare to go near us. But in the middle of the night a horde of Adjuchas showed up in front of Las Noches and were trying to kill us."

Ichigo widened his eyes and his hand shook with rage.

'How dare they...'

"Normally, it wouldn't be that much of a problem. Me and Harribel are Arrancars, one of the top ex-Espada and before Aizen came, we were Vasto Lorde. The others were only Adjuchas, but the Hogyoku gave us a little more power in our evolution. So we could have taken probably on ten Adjuchas by ourselves." She coughed and Urahara quickly handed her glass of water. After she refreshed herself, she continued.

"But I would have never thought that so many Adjuchas could work together. There was maybe thirty of them at the beginning and I think I saw a Vasto Lorde commanding them." She finished and the trio exchanged astonished looks.

"How is that even possible?" Yoruichi turned to Urahara who, for once, looked completely clueless as others did.

"I don't think that's all." Nel surprised them further.

"What do you mean?" Urahara asked and glanced at Ichigo, who looked like he was keeping himself from running to Hueco Mundo right away.

"I didn't have enough time to think about it, but I never saw Vasto Lorde in charge of Adjuchas before. Not to mention that Adjuchas themselves wouldn't blindly obey somebody. I think that someone else is behind it. But that's enough, I need to go back. Only with luck I managed to get here so I could try to call for some help. Others are still in danger. I think that only Harribel was the only one left, who could fight. And there was still so many of them... " She went silent and wiped her tears.

Ichigo looked at her and stood up abruptly.

"Is there anything else I should know, Nel?" He asked in a neutral voice.

She looked up and shook her head.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked and tried to move to him when they all felt his heavy reiatsu pushing them down.

"I'm going there, alone. I don't want you to see what I'm about to do." He said with his turned head, keeping them from seeing his face.

He quickly ripped the air and opened a small Garganta and before anyone could do anything he jumped in with the portal closing on him.

Yoruichi was the first one to recover and she tried to grab his leg.

"No! Ichigo, wait!" She yelled and her heart shook when, in the last moment, she got a good look on at his face.

There wasn't any cute frown on it, nor kind, warm smile that he could show her.

There was only rage and pure hatred written all over it.

His eyes betrayed nothing and she could see, that he was prepared to wipe out everybody who hurt his friend.

'Ichigo... ' She closed her eyes and prayed for his safety.

"Wait! You, you said your name was Urahara-san right? We have to go after him!" Nel exclaimed and turned to the shopkeeper who shook his head.

"No. You can't go. Your body is still recovering and trust me. I know Kurosaki-san enough to know, that he wouldn't want you to see the things he's about to do. Additionally... he can take care of himself. I can't imagine anybody that could defeat him right now."

Nel gaped at him and glanced at the place where Ichigo ran into Garganta.

'Don't lose yourself Ichigo... not for me ...' She thought and with a heavy heart lied down on the futon.

"Uhm, boss... did you feel his reiatsu too? It's changed and I don't know if I'm right, but it almost seems like it was heating the very air around him." Tessai said with a concern.

Urahara nodded and frowned.

'So he's starting to develop even further... I don't think his human body will be able to take it after all.'

* * *

Ichigo was seeing red as he was sprinting through the black nothingness of Garaganta. Just the memory of seeing tears on Nel's face made him clench his fists so hard, he almost drew blood.

'How dare they...' He thought again and pushed himself to run faster.

He almost tripped, however, when he heard Zangetsu talking to him.

**'Calm down Ichigo. You'll need to be able to think straight in the upcoming fight. You can't just blitz in and kill everybody.'**

Ichigo closed his eyes.

'I know that, but right now, my emotions are stronger then my reason.'

He heard something that closely resembled sigh.

**'Well then get ready, because there is something else you need to know, Ichigo. Right now, you are unable to use your bankai.'**

'...'

'WHAT?' Ichigo mentally yelled.

**'Ichigo, you finally released the true power of your zanpaktou. The old bankai is something you won't see again and therefore you have to earn your bankai again. It won't be like last time, but you won't get it for free either. There are also some things you need to know first...'** Zangetsu said, making Ichigo almost stop in his tracks.

'What are you talking about, Zangetsu?' Ichigo asked in frustration.

'Wait...that means I can't use my Resurrección either! Damn, Zangetsu! I'm going against Adjuchas and probably even against Vast Lorde!'

**'I am fully aware of that, Ichigo. But it is time for you to understand something. In the past you were relying too heavily on your bankai. It'll be different this time. Do you think that Captain Commander uses his bankai for small fries like that?' **Zangetsu asked in calm voice.

Ichigo widened his eyes comically.

'Are you comparing me with freaking Captain Commander? The guy who has been a shinigami for a thousand years? Are you fucking kidding me?' He yelled in disbelief.

**'Yes, he may have been a shinigami for thousand years if not more, but he isn't you either. Your potential is limitless, Ichigo. You have something that nobody in this world has. Your powers are a combination of every possible power in this universe. You can, and trust me, you will be, the most powerful being in this world.'** Zangetsu surprised him suddenly.

Ichigo shook his head.

'That's impossible, nobody has limitless potential, Aizen himself said it but fine. I don't have time for this. More importantly, are you really serious that I only can use my shikai? I may be strong and I'm not scared but the thought of being able to use only that much power ... worries me a little bit. What if I can't save them in time with only shikai?' Ichigo turned his head and stared at the dark surroundings.

**'To be honest with you, Ichigo. I don't care.'** Zangetsu said frankly, this time making Ichigo trip in shock.

He manged to recover in split second and ran again.

'Wha-what do you mean, Zangetsu?'

**'I don't care if you can't save them, Ichigo. Yes, I'd be sad, because it would inevitably bring you despair. But my main reason for aiding you... is because I want to protect you, Ichigo. You yourself is the only thing you don't want to protect, that's why someone else has to do it for you.'**

Ichigo's shocked face twisted itself into a small and honest smile. He inhaled deeply and felt a tear in his eye.

'... thank you, Zangetsu. Even if I disagree with you and even if I'm angry with you right now... it means a lot to me.'

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he noticed, that he was slowly getting close to the end of his Garganta.

With his mind set on the task before him, he sped to the exit.

_**'I only hope that you'll feel the same way after you'll learn the truth, Ichigo...'**_Zangetsu thought sadly.

* * *

"I have to applaud you, Tier Harribel, and your fallen comrades, to be able to defeat so many of my subordinates. You managed to impress me. There was only six of you and yet you managed to dispose of nearly twenty or so of my Adjuchas. Impressive indeed. But your pointless struggle ends now." Harribell watched in anger as the masked face of the Vasto Lorde in front of her twisted itself into evil smirk.

'I would have never thought that I was this weak... I'm sorry girls...' She thought and closed her eyes as she felt the Vasto Lorde forming his Cero, pointing it at her head.

"It's over!" He yelled and released his Cero.

'My master will be surely pleased.' He thought with a grin, which faded instantly as the smoke from the explosion cleared itself.

In front of the fallen ex-Espada stood a shinigami with orange hair, holding up his sword in front of him.

'What? He...he blocked my Cero?'

"Who are you?" Vasto Lorde yelled in anger.

"Kuro... saki?" Hallibell gasped in surprise.

Ichigo ignored the screaming hollow and turned his head to her.

His first reaction after seeing her covered in blood was anger, but when his eyes found hers, he offered her a warm smile.

"Yo. I thought I stop by to check how were you guys doing. Seems like I made it just in the right time huh?" He grinned and send a wink at her.

She remained silent and let the consciousness slowly leave her.

After she closed her eyes, Ichigo turned his head back to the Vast Lorde in front of him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Are you the one who did this to them?" He asked and tried to feel the reiatsu of the others.

His eyes widened when he felt Grimmjow 's reiatsu and realized it was flickering.

'Damn it. I need to finish this quickly. I may not like him but I'd be damned if I let him die. Not on my watch.'

"It was done by my subordinates but never mind that. I ask you again. Who are you, shinigami?"

"I'd ask what's your name, but I don't think I need to hear it. You'll be purified along with others when I'm done with you all." Ichigo retorted and ignored the question when he noticed that the remaining Adjuchas started to surround him.

'... six... seven... eight... nine... so I guess Harribell and the others defeated twenty-one of them. But there will be none after I'm finished.' Ichigo mentally counted the numbers of opponents and readied himself.

The Vasto Lorde grimaced.

"You think you can take on us alone? You are way too arrogant, shinigami. Kill him!"

The Adjuchas quickly listened and closed the distance between them and Ichigo.

'Too slow.' Ichigo thought and flashed next to the closest two and swung his blade at them.

The one who resembled a bat managed to jump away in time, only to gain a small gash on his leg but his comrade wasn't as lucky and his head felt on the ground with his body slowly disintegrating.

When the others saw that, they screamed in anger and jumped at him.

Ichigo had to flash away to avoid being impaled through his stomach and his head. With a clang, he parried the attack of the Adjuchas with the appearance of a mantis and sword-like arms.

When he sensed an incoming attack from behind, he jumped backwards and started to gather his hollow energy in mid-air.

Vasto Lorde's face showed surprise when he felt it.

"Cero." Ichigo whispered and from the tip of his finger a bright red Cero erupted, obliterating the Adjuchas below him.

'Two down, seven more to go.'

'What is he?' No-name Vasto Lorde thought after witnessing Ichigo's Cero.

His eyes suddenly widened in recognition.

'Wait. He must be the one master mentioned. In that case, I'll probably have to fight him myself.' He grinned sadistically and for the time being, watched the fight

.

Ichigo was slowly getting overwhelmed. Sure, he managed to defeat two Adjuchas almost right away, but the remaining ones started to work together, after seeing what he was capable off. They were more carefull in their approach and they were covering each other backs.

'This is really weird, I never thought that they could really work together.' Ichigo thought and had to quickly duck under a swipe of a tiger like Adjuchas. He spun himself, trying to cut off its head, but a bear-like Adjuchas deflected his sword.

He grimaced in frustration and jumped backwards a little, putting some distance between Adjuchas and himself.

'It's time I use Zangetsu true powers in fight.' He thought and held up his zanpaktou in front of him.

"Set the darkness ablaze, Zangetsu!" He yelled and a burst of black reiatsu exploded around him, creating a small shockwave, pushing the Adjuchas back and surprising the Vasto Lorde with his heavy reiatsu and its dark nature.

The Adjuchas looked at each other and started to back away from him a little. Even they could feel the difference in power.

"You think I'll let you get away with the things you did to my friends... and Grimmjow?" Ichigo muttered darkly and his eyes glowed with reiatsu.

He gathered the needed energy into his blade and flashed to his opponents, closing the distance in an instant.

"Angetsu no Ka!" He exclaimed and let the flames rush at the surprised bear-like Adjuchas who couldn't evade in time.

When the dark flames hit him, his eyes almost rolled in his head instantly from the incredible pain.

Everybody else watched as his mouth opened and he screamed in agony.

After a few seconds, the previously incoherent screams turned into words, as the black flames created visions, only for him to see.

"NOOO, STOP IT... STOP THE VOICES...GAAAH!"

Remaining Adjuchas looked at him in horror as he started to claw his own flesh from his head in desperation as the voices inside of his head and the visions he was experiencing were getting stronger.

'Why did you do it, mister?' A childish humanoid hollow entered his vision, with its limbs broken it slowly crawled to him.

'Daddy, why me? Wasn't I a good daughter?' From his right, a small girl walked to him, blood flowing from under her pink skirt. She had empty eyes and lifeless expression.

The Adjuchas screamed again and tried to move away when they reached him and started to rip his flesh away.

A bloodcurling scream was heard and the Adjuchas plucked his own eyes, heavily bleeding but still screaming.

Even if he wanted to punish every single one of them, Ichigo had to turn his head away from the sickening scene as the Adjuchas, bleeding all over from his Ichigo's attack and from its own hands tried to pounce on his head to stop its visions.

With a final blow, it crushed its own skull and stopped screaming, dead at last.

'Oh man I think I'm gonna be sick... this is awful...' Ichigo thought and tried to hold the contents of his stomach.

**'It is, the power of dark flames isn't something that should be enjoyable. It serves as a harsh punishment for everyone. That you find it disgusting is probably a good thing. If it brought you pleasure... well, I wouldn't be happy.' **Zangetsu told him quietly.

Ichigo shuddered at the very thought of somebody being able to enjoy this kind of scene and focused on the remaining Adjuchas, who were frozen from the disgusting scene.

His mind was still unsettled when he witnessed the disturbing effects of his own power, but he decided not to dwell on it too much. After all, it was his power and he was sure as hell wasn't going to push them away. If he was the one who could ultimately punish sick bastards... well, he was okay with it.

Still, it disturbed him a little.

He slowly walked to Adjuchas, which seemed to wake them up from their shock. When they noticed Ichigo slowly approaching them, with dark reiatsu surrounding him, they tried to crawl away from him, tripping on their own claws.

The voice of the Vasto Lorde stopped them in their tracks.

"You worthless trash, you see one weird thing and you are scared shitless. Do you really want me to report this to the Master?" He yelled, making them gulp heavily and stop their movements.

'Master?' Ichigo thought in confusion.

The threat worked and the Adjuchas hesitantly readied themselves.

Ichigo himself got into stance and as they charged him, he ducked under the first one, side-stepped the second one slashing backwards, where he hit one of them, making a deep gash in the Adjuchas's stomach.

His senses screaming at him he put his blade in front of him, blocking incoming attack just in time. He threw the gorilla-like Adjuchas of him when his widened.

Remaining four hollows were already finished with charging their joint Cero.

As the beam of energy rapidly approached Ichigo, he quickly slashed with his zanpaktou down.

"Yami no Tsukitate!" He yelled and a dark shield emerged in front of him, stopping the Cero in its path, creating a small explosion that engulfed him and the two Adjuchas still standing behind him.

"Something tells me he's not finished." Vasto Lorde mumbled. He didn't miss the flames that formed a wall in front of Ichigo just as the Cero closed on him.

'Phew, that was one hell of a Cero.' Ichigo thought mentally.

When the smoke cleared, the Adjuchas that shot the Cero at him, looked at him in horror.

There was absolutely no injury on him, but the two hollows that were caught in explosion were severely burned and barely breathing.

Ichigo turned to them and contemplated about their fate. He could have left them to suffer or he could finish them off.

The image of beaten Nel entered his mind and for the first time in his life, Ichigo turned away from someone in pain and let them suffer.

'They deserve it.' He thought and mentally dared Zangetsu to disagree with him.

**'They do... ' **Zangetsu answered him immediately, but his face showed a little concern.

Ichigo flashed to the remaining four Adjuchas and instantly beheaded one of them. Its body disintegrated even before its skull landed on the ground.

As the others tried to evade his next swing, the flames around Ichigo started to burn more, slowly creeping their way around him.

From the moment the image of Nel settled in his mind, rage started to flow through him again.

With his eyes glowing with reiatsu he charged at and kicked the closest Adjuchas with reiatsu induced kick, jumping slightly, when he noticed claws entering his vision. As he dodged a kick he spun himself in the air, surprising the hollow who tried to kick him, bisecting him instantly.

Its blood splashed on his clothes but he paid it no attention.

Using his momentum he kicked from the ground, reaching the last Adjuchas, aiming a punch at his gut. Pumping some of his reiatsu to his fist, he hit the hollow below its hole, ripping through its flesh.

"Now you have a second hole." He commented coldly and let some of the flames, that run along his arm, reach the hollow, causing him to scream in agony and drop dead in a matter of seconds.

He turned his head to look at the Adjuchas he kicked a moment ago and saw it slowly scrambling back at its feet.

Without giving him a chance to get ready to defend himself, Ichigo flashed to him and plunged his zanpaktou through his chest, pinning him to the ground with a sickening squelch and killing him instantly.

With blood still on his hand, Ichigo turned his head to the Vasto Lorde, who was getting a bit nervous from the eerie feeling he was feeling after witnessing Ichigo killing his subordinated like they were flies.

As the black flames started to cover Ichigo's whole body, the Vasto Lorde took an unconcious step back. Something was telling him, that the person in front of him wasn't someone he would want to underestimate.

He drew his own blade he got from some shinigami his master killed in the Menos forest and waited for a moment, before disappearing in a buzzing sound that signaled Sonido.

Ichigo managed to notice him in time and blocked the incoming slash, skidding a few inches back.

'So he's strong... good, someone I can finally test myself.' Ichigo grinned and jumped above the hollow, spinning himself and the sword in mid-air, trying to cut through the Vasto Lorde's skull.

The humanoid narrowly blocked the surprising attack and pushed Ichigo from him.

The substitute shinigami landed a few meter behind him and immediately pushed himself from the ground, aiming a jab at the hollow.

Said person side-stepped him and slashed at him with his second hand with claws on it.

Sensing an incoming attack Ichigo ducked and managed to kick him in the skull, sending the hollow flying but also almost breaking his leg.

'Fuck.' He cursed mentally and charged the Vasto Lorde, who landed after crashing into ground.

His eyes widened however when he sensed a huge amount of hollow energy in front of him and only his reflexes saved him from the incoming Cero.

He turned his head in horror however, when he realized where the hollow's attack continued.

'No... Harribel!'

Cursing his own stupidity he pushed himself, trying to outrun the Cero.

'Damn it, I was getting too caught up in the fight.'

It was only then when he noticed his bloody attire and the blood on his hands.

'Oh god, I ripped a hole through that hollow with my own fist.' He gulped in realization of his own cruel actions.

With the Cero reflecting in his eyes, he teared his focus back on stopping it and jumped in front of Harribell, having only a moment before the attack collided with him.

'Fuck, no time for the shield...' He cursed and held up his blade in front of him, desperately trying to block it somehow.

The Cero was however on another level in the comparison with the one the Adjuchas shot at him or the one he blocked when he arrived. It was too heavy for him to block it with just his sword and he again cursed his own stupidity.

In a desperate attempt, he pumped as much reiatsu to his own skin as he could and hoped that he would survive.

After few more second of trying to hold back the energy, he was engulfed in an explosion for the second time.

The Vasto Lorde buzzed near the origin of explosion and waited. He still wasn't sure if that ended the shinigami.

He grimaced when the wind blew the smoke away.

Ichigo was still standing with his attire burned heavily, showing his bare torso with tribal tattoo.

Thanks to his attempt to lessen the effects of the Cero with his own reiatsu he managed to escape the worst of the explosion and received only light burns on his hands that were already healing, using his high-speed regeneration.

"You impress me shinigami. Not many could survive my Cero, not to mention with only this much damage." Hollow admitted not so happily.

Ichigo gasped a little. He spent a good amount of his reserves to block the Cero.

'Shit.' He cursed and gripped the sword tightly.

'No more games. I have to finish this. Grimmjow is almost dead and the others aren't better.'

He suddenly flashed away from the hollow's vision in an impressive show of speed.

Vasto Lorde widened his eyes in surprise when he felt his arm being severed and quickly jumped away.

"Gaah!" He grunted in pain as the blood sprayed from the wound.

He glanced at his arm and grimaced in pain as he felt his high-speed regeneration slowly kick in.

'What was that speed, he was fast before, but not like this.' He thought about his chances when a heavy reiatsu pressed on his shoulders, widening his eyes further.

He turned his head and his eyes landed on Ichigo, who was slowly walking towards him, his remaining clothes floating as the air itself was getting heavy with his reiatsu.

"I'm going to end this now, hollow. I don't have time to play with you anymore." Ichigo said coldly.

'Play with me? Don't tell me... he was holding back the entire time?' Vasto Lorde's eyes glowed as the realization fell on him and he gulped.

The air was starting to get hotter as Ichigo approached him and after calculating his chances of survival, the hollow almost wanted to retreat. But how could he escape with his life intact?

Then he blinked, when he remembered something his Master told him about his subordinates.

'Yes, that could work, I just need some diversion...'

As Ichigo was almost in front of him, he finally formed his plan and got into stance.

Ichigo squirmed his eyes, trying to figure out what was hollow planning.

He immediately went to create his shield when he saw Vasto Lorde forming a Cero.

"It's pointless, you can't defeat me with it when I know it's coming." Ichigo yelled at the hollow who smirked, making Ichigo suddenly wary.

"How do you know I'm aiming at you, shinigami?" Flash of realization went through Ichigo's eyes and he cursed again.

He saw the Cero being shot in the direction of Grimmjow and he quickly flashed in front of it with his shield prepared.

"Yami no Tsukitate!"

His shield managed to block the Cero with little difficulty.

'What was he thinking?' He thought in confusion.

"Looking for someone, shinigami?" Hollow's voice made him turn his head.

Vasto Lorde was kneeling next to one of the Adjuchas Ichigo left to die in pain, touching it slightly with one of his claws.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked warily.

The hollow smirked, creating a feeling of dread inside Ichigo's stomach.

"Do you know why I was bestowed with these subordinates? Why am I even here?" Vasto Lorde grinned cruelly and jabbed his finger inside the Adjuchas's stomach.

"It's because these Adjuchas are special. They were... modified a little. I just put an energy equal to more than one of my Cero inside of him... do you know what happens after a few moments? ... Boom." The hollow whispered sadistically.

"Think of the explosion... I don't think your friend over there will be able to survive alone." He pointed at Harribel who was lying only a short distance from them.

Ichigo looked at him in horror.

"I don't think you will finish me, shinigami. But know this. We will meet again and when we do... you'll be on your knees, begging me to finish you off."

Vasto Lorde grinned and flashed away, leaving Ichigo frozen for a second.

When he noticed the glowing Adjuchas however, Ichigo quickly acted and left the thought of pursuing of the hollow alone and flashed next to Harribel.

He wrapped his arms around her and jumped away just as the Adjuchas exploded, creating a shockwave and sending him flying though the air and crashing into the walls of Las Noches painfully. Fortunately, he managed to flip himself while in the air, so that the only one injured would be him and not Harribel.

He groaned a little as he pushed himself from the ground.

His back hurt and he suspected that the blast managed to burn him a little.

'How ironic, my power is fire based and yet I am burned.' Sending his hollow energy to the wound he sighed in relief as the high-speed regeneration kicked in.

He placed Harribel on the ground and grimaced.

He wanted to help her first but he panicked when Grimmjow 's reiatsu flickered from the existence, leaving only a weak pulse.

'Shit, shit, shit.' With an impressive speed, he flashed to the blue-haired Arrancar and took a good look at him.

'...'

'He looks like shit.'

Grimmjow was missing his entire left arm, from the shoulder down. One of his ears was missing too, a bone was protruding from his leg and deep gashes ran along his chest, similar to the one Ichigo himself gave him not that long ago, but these were way more life-threatening. He could almost see his ribs through one of the wounds.

Quickly putting his hands on him, he channelled his hollow energy and pushed a good amount to him.

It took significantly less time for his high-speed regeneration to take affect as it did with Nel.

'Maybe every hollow has different speed of regeneration.' Ichigo thought in wonder.

**'Ichigo... I'm glad you're back to yourself.'** Zangetsu sighed in relief.

'Yeah, me too, Zangetsu... me too.'

Inside his mind, Zangetsu shook his head.

**'No, you don't understand, Ichigo. It's not as simple as you think it is. You didn't become just too caught up in fight, you were getting caught up in your own darkness.'** Zangetsu said with a little worry in his voice.

Ichigo raised his eyebrow, but continued to focus on giving his energy to Grimmjow.

**'The power of your zanpaktou is darkness and as I said before, it can't hurt you... but it can possess you, Ichigo. It's a terrifying power and you must be carefull in using it. I know that your emotions are something that you have problem keeping in check, but your rage and hatred fuels the darkness you wield. It helps you strengthen your abilities... but you'll have to find your equilibrium or the darkness will control you.'** Zangetsu explained sadly.

'Yeah... it did occur to me that it was strange that the more rage I felt, the more those flames kept surrounding me and they were easier to control. I just... I wanted to kill them, Zangetsu. I wanted to rip them apart with my bare hands. You saw what those bastards did to Nel, Harribel and others. They are animals.' Ichigo replied ashamed of his own feelings.

**'I understand, Ichigo. It's the same thing with me wanting to protect you. You want to protect those around you and when you're late and they get hurt, you want to punish those who did it. I agree with you, I'm just warning you... do not let yourself get lost in the darkness. Never.'**

Ichigo closed his eyes and mentally nodded.

'I promise.'

It was then, when he heard a groan from the one he was giving energy to. He quickly pulled his hands back as he knew Grimmjow 's nature.

Said Arrancar slowly opened his eyes and noticed Ichigo.

"..."

"You! Kuro-aargh!" Grimmjow almost jumped at Ichigo but his injuries prevented him from doing it and he yelped in pain instead.

"Yes, me, Grimmjow. Be still and let your high-speed regeneration work, I gave you just enough of my hollow reiatsu to patch you up. If you have any problem with it or with me in general, leave it for later. I have to help others." Ichigo said sharply and stood up but Grimmjow grabbed his leg before he could flash away.

"Kurosaki... this is the second time you saved my life... but know this, I still hate you and I will try to kill you again. Nothing's changed. I may be grateful that you got rid of Aizen but that's it." Grimmjow gasped through small spasms of pain.

"Fine with me. I don't want you to owe me anything. But if we are to fight again, don't drag anyone else into it and in that case I'll fight you whenever you want." Ichigo glanced at the Arrancar and nodded to him.

Grimmjow widened his eyes a little and let go of Ichigo's leg.

"What about that green-haired one?"

Ichigo turned in surprise.

"Nel? She's okay and in the World of the Living. She'll be back soon."

Grimmjow nodded signaling Ichigo to go.

He watched him flash through the sand of Hueco Mundo and scoffed.

"Fucking sucker... acting almighty and shit... you're lucky I have some pride and you managed to gain a little respect or I swear I'd have kicked you in the balls the moment I noticed your ugly face." He turned his head and twitched in pain.

'Fuck it... I'm beat...'

Ichigo landed next to Harribel and let his eyes roam, trying to find any heavy injury. Surprisingly, the ex-Espada had mostly only light injuries, aside from the one that was a little bit hard to look at.

Ichigo haven't noticed it before, when he came to Hueco Mundo and saved the blonde, but now that he had time, he almost couldn't hold his stomach and with a pure willpower he managed not to throw up.

Harribel was missing her entire left breast.

It was fully cut off, leaving only heavily bleeding wound. The injury itself was hard to understand, it was almost as if the one who did it aimed directly at her assets, trying to mutilate her as much as he could.

The rest of the injuries were only shallow gashes, bruises and probably reiatsu depletion.

With his eyes pointing at her legs, trying to avoid the sight of her bloody top, Ichigo put his hands at her stomach and repeated the same process that he did with Grimmjow.

Not long after that he heard that disgusting sound of tissue being repaired and dared to lift his eyes a little to see that from the deep wound, her breast started to grow back.

He swallowed hard and teared his focus from the bare lump on her chest to the rest of the injuries.

They were too, healing rapidly and when he was sure he replenished enough of her reiatsu, he allowed himself a little rest.

Repeated donation of his hollow energy was tiring him quite rapidly.

'I have just enough to heal the other three and then I'll need some fine rest.'

With his eyes closed, he didn't notice that Harribel regained consciousness and was looking at him in confusion. Then she remembered where she was and tried to move.

Her movement was the thing that alerted Ichigo.

"Oh, you're awake, Harribel -san. Rest, your reserves were almost fully depleted and I only gave you enough to start your high-speed regeneration. Now that you're awake I should go to your Fracción as they are the last ones, who need my help."

"Why are you here, Kurosaki Ichigo? What of the attack?" She asked him just as he stood up.

"Nel showed up in the World of the Living and from her I found out about this... whatever this was. I wanted to beat up the bastards who injured her and when I got here... well, you remember that much. I managed to kill the rest of the Adjuchas, but the Vasto Lorde succeeded in escaping." He gave her a small smile and flashed to the remaining Arrancars.

"But there was still nine of them left... " Harribel mumbled quietly in disbelief when he was already gone.

'I'll have to find out just how strong he is.' She thought and slowly sat, realizing that one of her breasts was showing.

She raised an eyebrow when she thought back to the conversation with Ichigo.

'His eyes never left my face... is he... gay?'

Not so far away Ichigo shuddered.

'Uh, I have a sudden feeling that somebody is thinking badly of me.' He shook his head to clear his thoughts and concentrated on healing the remaining Arrancars.

He located them easily and was relieved to discover that while they were all unconscious, their wounds weren't life threatening. They were most likely suffering from the same thing that Harribel did, reiatsu depletion.

'That makes those horrible injuries of Nel, Grimmjow and Harribel more questionable. Did they leave Harribel's Fraccion with only few bruises because they thought they were no threat?'

He frowned and thought about it. It made no sense.

'The whole attack makes no sense.'

'Why would they attack the most powerful hollows in Hueco Mundo?'

'Why now, after giving them just enough time to recover from the Winter War?'

'Why they allowed Nel to escape?'

Those were the questions Ichigo asked himself without having any answer.

'And who is that Master?'

He sighed and wiped his brow from sweat.

'Well, I can at least think of reason why Nel was so beaten up. She's too much of a kind person and probably tried to shield the others from injuries, receiving those wounds in the process.'

Small movement alerted him that two of the Arrancars he was giving his reiatsu to, were beginning to awaken, so he shifted himself and proceeded to help the last one.

As he was finishing, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Harribel was already up and coming to check on her Fracción, who were too, slowly getting up, slightly disoriented.

'Stubborn woman.' He smiled a bit.

'She's too caring to be considered a hollow.'

"Urgh, damn I hurt." Mila Rose grunted from the ground behind him.

"Me too, what... you again?" Apacci blinked and noticed Ichigo, crouched few steps away from her.

He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, not that you sound very happy."

"Why should I be happy to see a shinigami?" She retorted and grimaced at him.

"Becasue he's the one who saved us... again, and healed us... again." Hallibel finally walked to them and sat down next to Ichigo, eyeing him with interest.

Ichigo sweatdropped and unconsciously moved back a little.

'I don't like her stare.' He decided not to mention that out loud.

"Oh come on! Don't tell us that he magically appeared in front you, Lady Harribel, and saved you from being executed, in the last second." Apacci exclaimed jovially.

When she didn't hear any response, she glanced at Harribel and widened her eyes.

"No. Freaking. Way." She said gobsmacked.

"Oh my god my sides, haha." Mila Rose started to laugh uncontrollably at the look on Apacci's face but then she jerked herself in pain.

"Serves you right, bitch." Apacci muttered and turned her head away, her face red from embarrassment.

"Hey, I didn't just magically appear." Ichigo protested, "Nel managed to get to the World of the Living and told me about the situation here. I was lucky I got here in time. It's not my fault I arrived exactly at such time."

"Wait, you mean Lady Harribel was really about to be... " Sun-Sung joined the conversation.

Mila Rose immediately stopped her laugh at that comment.

"Yes, their numbers proved too much for me to handle and I was about to fall when he blocked the Cero that was meant for me. The thing is, Kurosaki Ichigo, there was still nine Adjuchas alive when I fainted. Not to mention that Vasto Lorde. You told me you got the Adjuchas, but the Vasto Lorde escaped, yet you have almost no injury whatsoever."

Ichigo avoided her eyes and looked at the ground.

"Those Adjuchas weren't that much of a problem since I was, quite frankly, pissed off at them for hurting Nel. I could have taken down even that Vasto Lorde, but... well... I admit, he made it so I had to let him escape."

"I don't understand." Harribel looked at him confused.

"He rigged one of the Adjuchas's bodies and made some sort of bomb from it. Have I let it explode, you'd be dead." Ichigo glanced at her and shrugged.

She widened her eyes a little and looked closer at his attire.

'So that's why his clothes are so burned, he must have taken the hit for me... he... sacrificed himself for me?' For the first time since Aizen's betrayal, Harribel allowed herself an honest smile.

When she evolved to an Arrancar, her aspect of death became Sacrifice.

Now she have found someone who was probably same as her.

'Yes... him I can trust.'

"Uhm, Kurosaki-san?" Sung-Sun tried to gain Ichigo's attention.

He rolled his eyes again.

"Pleaso no Kurosaki-san, just Ichigo."

She smiled a little and nodded.

"Ichigo-san, then. You said that he blew the body of Adjuchas up... but when hollow is killed, his body turns into spirit particles quite quickly."

Ichigo looked back at the ground, hiding his eyes from their view.

"I didn't kill every Adjuchas right away... I let some of them suffer and die from their injuries."

He said with clenched jaw, refusing to look at those around him.

"Oh... I see. That's kind of ... nice of you?" Sung-Sun stated uncertainly.

"I mean... you did it because they hurt your friend, right?" She quickly added when Ichigo looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah... " He nodded and a small, awkward silence fell on them.

"What about Nel? Actually, what about Grimmjow? I can feel his reiatsu but... " Harribel broke the silence suddenly.

Ichigo scoffed.

"Kitty-boy is fine. He's just angry that I saved his sorry ass again. Nel is with my friend in the World of the Living, recuperating from her injuries but if I'd have to guess, she'll be back here in no time." Hallibel's Fracción had to stifle a laugh at his new name for Grimmjow.

'Dickzen, Kitty-boy... he's on the roll with the nicknames.' Mila Rosa snickered quietly.

Harribel slowly stood up and looked around.

"We should get inside. There's no telling if they won't send another attack at us."

Her Fracción nodded and made their way inside Las Noches while Ichigo glanced at the location of Grimmjow.

"Let him be. He'll come inside when he wants to. It's not like I'm keeping him here by force." Harribel said to Ichigo and followed her Fracción.

Ichigo sighed and walked behind her.

She raised one eyebrow at his action.

"I thought you'd be going back to the World of the Living?"

Ichigo chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah. You're not the only one who thinks that this is not over. We need to come up with a plan how to deal with this. Before you say anything, this is where Nel and you live and I consider at least Nel a friend. They can chew on Grimmjow however. Besides, Nel told me that there is something wrong with that little Arrancar... Lilynette was her name?"

Harribel stared at him for a moment with a thoughtful expression. After a while she turned around and walked inside Las Noches without any words.

'Weird.' Ichigo thought and entered the massive structure himself.

* * *

"Do you see him?"

"Yeah, are you sure it's a good idea? You heard that he was the one who defeated Aizen."

First voice turned in the darkness of Las Noches and stared hard at the second one.

"We have no other choice." He muttered darkly and together they followed Ichigo through the shadows.

Said shinigami was walking through the dark corridors, hoping he didn't get lost.

'Damn, where's Harribel, she was in front of me just a minute ago.' Ichigo thought in irritation.

"Now!"

Ichigo widened his eyes when he felt a movement behind him and quickly ducked under two bodies that flew above him and hit the concrete wall with a painful grunt.

"What the...?" Ichigo yelled and spun himself to face the attackers.

It took him only a second to recognize the duo in that lied with dazed expressions in front of him.

He facepalmed and shook his head in slight exasperation.

"Pesche, Dondonchakka... what are you two dumbasses trying to do?"

He backed away when Pesche jumped up like nothing happened and grabbed him by the clothes.

"You... you remember my name, Uryu!" He cried anime tears when Ichigo whacked him on the head.

"I'm Ichigo you idiot!"

"Eeeh?" Pesche's hands shot in air in surprise.

Ichigo rubbed his temples and felt a headache coming.

"I ask again. What are you guys doing?"

"We wanted to ask you where Nel-sama is. We didn't see her when Lady Hallibel and her Fracción came in... don't tell me she's... ." Pesche stopped his comic act and gulped in fear.

Ichigo quickly shook his head.

"No! No... she's okay. She's just recuperating in the World of the Living with my friends. She'll be back here in no time."

"You hear that Dondonchakka?" Pesche jumped at his partner and started dancing with him happily, making Ichigo sigh tiredly.

"Look guys, not to be party-pooper but I'm really tired, can you show me where is the ... I don't know how you guys call it... where everybody lives?"

Pesche instantly stopped his dance and with a salute he motioned Ichigo to follow him.

Turns out, Ichigo wasn't that lost and after a few minutes they arrived in a small hall with a table and few chairs.

"This is where Aizen made his meetings." Harribel 's neutral voice surprised him from behind.

He grimaced and had to suppress the urge to demolish the whole room.

"Pesche, Dondonchakka, you can return to your place and wait for Nel-san to come back. I'll take Kurosaki Ichigo with me." Comical duo bowed to her and with a salute left the room.

"Come Kurosaki Ichigo, you mentioned that you wanted to see Lilynette. I'll take you to her." She glanced at him briefly and walked to the doors on the right.

"You know, it'd be easier if you'd call me just Ichigo you know... and far less irritating." Ichigo stated, muttering the last part quietly.

Harribel turned her head for a second.

"Yes, it would." She replied with a mirth in her eyes and Ichigo could have sworn he saw a ghost smile on her lips.

'Eh?'

"She's in my quarters right now, girls are keeping a watch on her." She said and opened the doors to a huge white room with little furniture, but a lot of noise.

"Oh come on Appaci, I think it was quite funny... you trying to make fun of him and yet it was that exact way how he came here. Who would have thought that he was a hero." Ichigo's eyes twitched at the Mila Rose's comment which he was sure was about him.

"Fine... but you didn't have to laugh that much." Apacci appeared to be pouting at her comrade with a red cheeks.

Sung-Sun remained quiet and was often glancing at the only unmoving Arrancar in the room.

"How is she, girls?" Harribel asked them and Ichigo had to stifle a laugh when the Fracción almost jumped in the air from surprise.

"Gah, Lady Harribel, don't scare us like th-at..." Mila Rose exclaimed but paused when she noticed Ichigo and flushed a little.

Ichigo noticed and waved his hand.

"Yes I heard what you were talking about and it's fine. It's not like I can do something about it... "

Apacci chuckled a little and stuck her tongue out at Mila Rose who was still flushed.

"So, where is Lilynette? Maybe we can figure out together what's wrong with her." Ichigo asked them and frowned when they looked at him in confusion.

"Uhm, Ichigo-san... she's right here." Sung-Sun pointed at the figure on the bed next to her and Ichigo widened his eyes in shock.

What was in front of him wasn't a small green-haired Arrancar anymore.

The Lilynette that was lying on the bed was slightly different.

Her hair was the same green and her mask was still there, but she was a bit taller, her face showed someone older and her body was a little more girlish with slight curves.

"..." Ichigo looked at Harribel with a eyes full of questions.

"We don't know either. It appears she underwent some sort of rapid growth. I'd say she looks maybe two years older. I'm thinking that maybe the shock of losing Starrk and your reiatsu, which you gave to her, might have triggered this... change." She answered with a slight shrug.

"Yeah, when I first saw her, she appeared to be as old as my sisters but now she look like she's thirteen or so, although I'm sure that since she's Arrancar she's actually older... ." Ichigo paused when his brain registered something in Harribel 's response and he pointed at himself in shock.

"Wait... I DID THIS?"

End of chapter 8.

**Next chapter we will see Ichigo and Arrancars planning to find and strike the Vasto Lorde who attacked them.  
Not to mention... the very strike.**


	9. Chapter 9: Hueco Mundo part 2

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I'm sorry about this late release, but due to finishing finals and some personal issues, I was unable to finish writing this chapter sooner. **

**Summer is here and I'll be working part time so the interval between releases may be stretched to two weeks as it was with this chapter. But it's just a warning and maybe I'll have enough time to write chapters faster, however I don't want to speed things up too much and release new chapter without giving it appropriate amount of time and effort. As I said before, I'll give you heads up in my profile.**

**I don't think I can react to the reviews as most of the things will be explained in this chapter or in the upcoming ones. I'll just repeat myself and say that everything is going just as planned and my decision to rob Ichigo of his bankai was planned all the way back when I was writing second chapter. Maybe the reason I'll give you in the future will be lame, but I think it was important as Ichigo's new bankai will affect his character.**

**That's all ;)**

**Chapter 9: Hueco Mundo pt.2 (Green Wolf & the Protector)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

Harribel blinked and looked up at Ichigo.

"I didn't say I'm sure of your role in this change. I'm only guessing. Lilynette was a part of Starrk, they used to be one soul. They were unique and that's one of the reasons Aizen recruited them. I don't think even Szayelaporro knew much about them. Maybe Lilynette can enlighten us when she'll wake up." She said calmingly.

Ichigo settled down a bit but one question still bothered him.

"There is that. Why won't she wake up? She's been like this for quite a few days... shouldn't I call for some medics? I can guarantee you'd be safe."

Harribel shook her head.

"No, I don't think that any of your shinigami medics or other ones could help an Arrancar this unique. Maybe your friend that Aizen took hostage and had those amazing powers..."

"You mean Orihime. Well, I could get her ... ." Ichigo replied and immediately turned to the exit but Harribel stopped him with a frown.

"Although we could always use something ourselves. We've been watching Lilynette ever since we came here and from what I know about medicine... ." She paused and stared at him.

"What?" Ichigo asked with his own frown.

"She's suffering from withdrawal symptoms... at least that's what it looks like. Maybe... if you would give her more of your reiatsu she'd respond... " Harribel told him and motioned him to get closer to Lilynette.

"Are you saying she's addicted to my reiatsu?" Ichigo felt a headache, that was slowly creeping at him from the moment he met Pesche and Dondonchakka, finally settling in his head.

Harribel shortly nodded.

"You know, if you're addicted to something, isn't it better to cure the addiction rather than supplying her with the... stuff she wants?"

Harribel's Fracción were watching them unusually quietly, turning their heads back and forth like they were at some kind of tennis match... not that they knew what tennis was.

"Yes, it would be the best solution if it was indeed addiction. As I said, right now we're not sure of anything and we're only making assumptions. Should she react badly, we'll take her to that Orihime girl. But if she'll wake up, we might get some answers." Harribel pressed him and Ichigo grudgingly admitted that it was probably the best course of action.

"Fine." He nodded and put his hands on Lilynette's stomach.

'Hmm, now that she looks older she's actually quite cute.' Ichigo thought absent-mindedly and focused once again on his hollow energy.

Not wanting to accidentally 'overdose' her, he let his reiatsu flow into her in small doses, waiting for any kind of reaction.

When nothing happened after a few minutes of donating his reiatsu, Ichigo turned to Harribel.

"See, she's not-" He was interrupted by a small groan.

Every head snapped in its direction and they watched as the small Arrancar moved a little.

'Huh? You're kidding me, Harribel was right after all... damn women, they are always right.' Ichigo silently fumed.

"Starrk?" Lilynette's voice cut through the silence and Ichigo glanced at Harribel and tried to tell her that he probably shouldn't be there, with hand signs.

Harribel shook her head making Ichigo sigh.

Lilynette blinked and opened her eyes at last.

First thing she noticed was the lack of surroundings and the presence of the roof.

'I'm not on the battlefield.'

Next thing was the fact that she could no longer feel Starrk's presence. Not his reiatsu anywhere near her, not the connection that the two of them shared on the soul level. That worried her greatly.

Instead she felt several reiatsu signatures in her close proximity. Besides one, she recognized all of them.

'Harribel and her Fracción and ... what the hell is with that other reiatsu? It's unlike anything I ever felt and...wait, I'm sure I never felt it before yet it feels so familiar.'

She was getting more confused so she tried to sit down and immediately noticed additional information.

First one that surprised her, yet pleased her, was the fact that she was feeling some weight on her chest so she looked down.

Her eyes widened in happy surprise.

'I have boobs!'

She almost smiled but then she realized what it probably meant.

Without turning to anybody in particular, she asked the whole group, who was watching her changing expressions with interest.

"Starrk's dead, isn't he?" She asked un dull voice.

Ichigo cringed at her tone.

"Yes." Harribel replied making Ichigo look at her in horror.

'She could have shown some solidarity and told her that nicer.'

He watched as a single tear dropped from Lilynette's eye.

'Poor girl...' Ichigo thought and seeing her grim expression, he remembered his sisters and their sad faces when he told them he'd be leaving them for some time.

"What about the war? You're alive... but it seems that you're the only one, so I assume we lost?" Lilynette asked, still not looking in their direction.

"We lost, but at the same time won. Aizen was defeated, but thanks to certain someone, we are left alone to live however we like, but shall we try to attack Soul Society again we will be hunted."

Harribel noticed that the small Arrancar clenched her fists.

"So I'm supposed to live just like that? After those shinigami killed Starrk?" She visibly shook from the mixture of grief and rage.

"Starrk wasn't killed by the shinigami that we fought, Lilynette... Aizen himself cut him down... as he did with me too. In the end, he betrayed us." Harribel quickly replied.

Lilynette snapped her head in Harribel's direction with widened eyes.

"That bastard... "

Then her eyes noticed Ichigo, standing a little bit in the background, trying not to be seen.

She jumped from the bed and pointed her finger at him.

"Why is a stinking shinigami here with us?" She yelled at them but a moment after that she frowned.

'Wait... he's the one with that weird reiatsu. What is he? He can't be a shinigami...hmm... well, whatever he is, he at least looks good.'

"Who is he?" She asked Harribel.

"His name is Kurosaki Ichigo, the one that Aizen stalked and the one who, in the end, defeated the bastard."

Lilynette's eyes widened to comic proportions as she fell on her butt.

"Whaaaaat?"

That broke the tension a little and Harribel's Fracción chuckled a little.

"Yeah, that was our reaction too, Lilynette. He maybe doesn't look like much but he can't be pretty scary actually." Mila Rosa smirked at the green-haired girl, who was still gaping at him.

"Oi, I take offense in that comment." Ichigo finally muttered offended.

"Oh, don't worry, you're still our hero." Mila Rose blew a raspberry at him and added a wink.

"Eh?" Lilynette watched their exchange with even more widened eyes and with the jaw on the floor.

"I must have been out for a long time..." She muttered and stood up, dusting herself off.

"Around a week." Harribel told her.

"It's only thanks to this guy, that you woke up actually. He gave you his hollow reiatsu." Apacci spoke up and Lilynette hastily turned to Ichigo.

"You have hollow reiatsu?" She asked in shock.

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a normal shinigami, that's everything you need to know." He said and snorted when she puffed her cheeks at the incomplete answer.

Then her mind registered something.

"Wait, he gave me his reiatsu?"

Harribel nodded with a frown.

"Yes, twice. When he did it this time, he managed to wake you up. That is connected with what I wanted to ask you. As you probably noticed, your appearance has slightly changed and we were contemplating that it's because of Kurosaki Ichigo giving you his reiatsu... just in case... do you know something about it?"

Lilynetted sighed and walked to the bed, where she sat down.

"Do you know how I knew that Starrk was dead?" She asked nobody in particular.

"Partly because I can no longer feel our special connection of our souls... and because I noticed that I grew up a bit."

Harribel and others raised their eyebrows.

"I think you are aware of how I came to exist, right? Me and Starrk were once one soul, extremely strong soul that caused anyone, who approached us, to die from our reiatsu alone. That is the reason we decided to split. We split our soul to two pieces and because of that, we lost the ability to grow old...well, at least I did. I don't know if Starrk would grow old in time, but it was clear that I wouldn't. Moreover I wasn't able to gain more power. Basically I was stuck in this form until I'd die. When I saw my boobs, I knew that Starrk couldn't be alive because in that case I wouldn't be able to mature. Now that I'm alone, I'm the remaining soul and because of my previously stunted growth I was forced to grow rapidly. Well, it still needed a catalyst in form of a reiatsu more potent that Starrk's to make it this fast ... but since you said that this guy donated his own reiatsu to me and he's the same person who defeated Aizen, I guess that answers the question."

Lilynette looked at Ichigo with a interest.

"But why would a shinigami, even one not normal, give his reiatsu to a hollow still confuses me."

'You're not the only one who's confused right now.' Everyone thought.

"See, it's not your fault Kurosaki Ichigo, as she would grow old in time with or without your intervention." Harribel turned to Ichigo with a light smile.

"I guess..." Ichigo admitted in relief.

"Fault? You thought that this is something bad? I got boobs man, boobs!" Lilynette looked at Ichigo as if he was crazy and squeezed her breasts with her own hands experimentally, making Ichigo blush instantly and caused the Mila Rose to laugh at him.

"R-right."

Lilynette almost squealed in happiness, when she remembered that Starrk was gone and she sobered up instantly.

'Only if you could see me now, Starrk.' She thought sadly and turned to others.

"I think I need to be alone now... I'll be in Starrk's room." She muttered and quietly made her way out.

"You think she'll be alright?" Ichigo asked Harribel, after the green-haired Arrancar left the room.

Harribel glanced at the door and closed her eyes.

"She's a strong girl, but I guess we'll have to wait..."

* * *

Not long after Lilynette left, Ichigo himself departed to the long corridors of Las Noches. Since he decided to help the group deal with the attackers, it meant that he'd be spending few days in Hueco Mundo.

With that in mind, he asked the ex-Espada for the directions to some vacant room, where he could sleep.

Harribel explained to him the route to old room of the ex-Quatro Espada, Ulquiorra. At first, Ichigo rejected the idea. He was forced to fight the Arrancar and from that time he knew of his nihilistic character and believed his room to be depressing.

When he found the room however, the only thing he discovered was that Ulquiorra preferred simplistic style, similar to the one Harribel used to decorate her room.

So there was Ichigo, lying in the small bed, trying to relax, although his face showed his eternal frown.

'Old man... you there?'

**'Yes, Ichigo.'**

'Just so you know, I'm still angry at you. After everything I've been through I still can't use my bankai. Now that we have time, I want to know why because it screams bullshit to me.' Ichigo asked mentally.

**'I understand, Ichigo. You already know that when you merged with Shirosaki, you gained quite the power boost, since your hollow powers are now in sync with you. What you however don't know, is the fact, that thanks to that, your hollow powers should have been incorporated within your bankai. Since you weren't using the true bankai, they manifested as an individual release, the Resurrección.'** He heard the reply of his inner spirit that made him frown deeper.

'But Shirosaki said...'

**'Shirosaki is just a part of you, Ichigo. Have you ever seen a shinigami with more releases than shikai and bankai? The answer is no and the fact that you're special doesn't change anything. Even if, for example, I didn't want you to be shinigami, it is the path you chose for yourself, therefore you are a shinigami. Your other powers are complimentary to the main one and they strengthen it. That's why your Resurrección was only a temporary solution for you to use, until the true power of your zanpaktou, the core of your shinigami powers, was awakened.'** Zangetsu interrupted Ichigo with his explanation and Ichigo gulped.

'That means I'll be even stronger in bankai? Jesus... well, it's not like I didn't want more power. I need it to protect my precious people, but sometimes I have the feeling that my power will scare people away...'

**'That is possible. However, those closest to you know you better than that, ichigo. They know that you are still Ichigo, and not some scary monster.'**

'Gee, thanks for calling me a monster...' Ichigo muttered and heard Zangetsu chuckle a bit.

Then his eyes widened.

'Aw man, and I kinda liked the Resurrección, it looked so cool!'

Zangetsu only chuckled more.

**'Well, you have to make sacrifices sometimes.'**

'Like I don't know that already... wait, we wandered aways from the original question. Why is it that I can't use my bankai? I remember you saying, that this time it won't be like then. So, it won't be that harsh training?'

Ichigo could almost feel the nervousness radiating from his inner spirit.

**'Something like that... in fact, there is no need for any training at all.'**

'What?!' He almost fell off the bed in surprise.

**'I admit, I lied before. You have already earned the right to use your bankai. Right now it's just me that's preventing you from using it.'**

Ichigo punched to wall behind him in frustration.

'Damnit Zangetsu! That's low and you know it!'

**'Yes, but I'm doing it for your own good. If you used your bankai now, you'd have it with your hollow powers within it. And that's the problem... there is still something you don't know about yourself, Ichigo, about your roots. There is still one dormant power within you, that you must awaken and accept, before your bankai is truly complete. If you were to use your bankai before that, it would only make things harder for you.'**

Ichigo blinked twice to sort his mind.

'Say again? Another power? What am I a freaking cocktail? What is that power?'

In his mind, he heard a heavy sigh.

**'You will probably hate me for that, Ichigo, but it isn't something you should hear from me so I won't tell you. When you are finished here, in Hueco Mundo, look for your father and let me talk to him. I will force him to explain everything. When he told you about him being a shinigami, I was sure that I would have more time to prepare you for it so I told you not to ask him more, but now... now that you have awakened your true zanpaktou powers, waiting is no longer an option.'**

Ichigo gritted his teeth and tried to calm down.

'My dad knows? Oh his face will bite the dust as soon as I see him... so you won't tell me more huh... fine, Zangetsu, have it your way. I'll trust you this time, but you're on thin ice now. One more thing, what about my shikai? I shouldn't use bankai before awakening and accepting that power or it would cause problem, but I can use my shikai? It kind of doesn't make sense.'

**'Shikai, as you should already know by now, is only initial release. However bankai is a final release in which the zanpaktou gains it truest form. Once the bankai is achieved it is impossible to change, you being the only exception thanks to your incomplete powers. Shikai can be molded that's why there is no problem if you use it.'** Zangetsu replied.

Ichigo threw his arms in the air and grimaced.

'Fine, I give up... ' He thought and cut off their link.

'How can I have another dormant power inside of me, without knowing it? I always knew I wasn't normal but this is way beyond that. I understand that I inherited my shinigami powers from dad and after his explanation, I know where are my hollow powers coming from. What other power there can be?' Ichigo bit his lip, thinking hard.

'Quincy? Yeah, right, Uryu would know if I was one.'

'Bount? That's... creepy to even think about it.'

'What more is there... some kind of hell powers?'

He grimaced in disgust.

'God I hope not... gaaah! I don't know!' He yelled mentally and scratched his head.

'I guess there is no point in thinking about it. I'll finish things here and then... and then I'll find out for sure...'

His thought were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

Ichigo propped himself on the elbows and watched as Lilynette opened the doors and hesitantly looked at him.

"Can I... can I come in?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrow but motioned her to come inside. She slowly walked towards him and sat on the floor, next to the bed.

"Uhm... what do you need, Lilynette-san?"

She bit her lips, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Nothing really... I'm just used to Starrk's presence next to me and I hate to be alone. You're the only guy here so I thought maybe I could relax better if I'll come here. I'm not counting Grimmjow of course... I hate that animal."

Ichigo smiled a little and lied back down.

"Anything I can do to help."

They stayed in silence for a moment, with Lilynette glancing at him a few times.

"Go ahead and ask. I can almost feel that you want to know something." Ichigo said with closed eyes.

Lilynette looked at him in surprise.

"You never answered my question back there. Why did you help us, the Arrancars? We were your enemies. We are still your enemies since you're a shinigami. Aren't you worried that one of could decide to kill you in your sleep?"

"Do you plan on killing me?" He asked after a while.

"No! Of course no. You saved me and for that I'm grateful." She quickly replied.

"Well. Then everything's fine, isn't it?"

When Ichigo felt some weight on the bed he opened his eyes and turned his head. Lilynette was kneeling next to the bed with her hands lying on the edge on the bed.

"Why? Why are you being so nice? Why are you so trusting? I don't get it!" She yelled at him, looking at the ground.

He sighed and seated himself in front of her.

"I'm not trusting nor am I nice. I simply chose to believe that you are good. I'm not like other shinigami simply because I have been a one only for some months and I'm still alive as a human. Why should I think you would do any harm to me? What I see here, in Hueco Mundo, is simply a group of people, trying to survive. Every single one of you lost something. A comrade, trust, all of you carry some burden. Just because you are hollow doesn't mean you are some savages. In the past I believed so, but only because I was told that. Through my experiences I learned otherwise. In Hueco Mundo, there are monsters just like everywhere else. Humans, shinigami, hollows. We are all just souls in a different costume. I value my humanity more than anything, that's true, but at the same time, I don't consider myself as something more as shinigami or a hollow. I helped you, Harribel and her Fracción because you're a living beings, nothing more. But at the same time, I decimated those Adjuchas that attacked them. Why I didn't spare them? Because I know that by purifying them, I gave them a new chance at life. It was my decision, as is everything I do. I choose what to do. I don't simply follow the rules. If I don't agree with something, I won't do it."

He turned to Lilynette with a warm smile.

"You just lost the most precious person in this world. There was nobody else you could trust, so you're free to not believe anything I just said. You are right. There probably aren't many shinigami, who would treat you like friend."

"What do you know about losing someone!" She snapped at him.

Ichigo's smile faltered a bit but he tried to keep it. He looked up and stared her in the eyes.

"My mother was killed by a hollow in front of me when I was a kid." He said and watched as Lilynette's eyes widened in surprise and she jumped away.

"B-b-but that's even more reason for you to hate us, hollows." She pointed a shaky finger at him.

"It wasn't you who did it. Should I condemn every hollow for action of one?" He shook his head.

"I'm past the anger I felt. Sure, if I'd meet the one who did it, I wouldn't hesitate and kill him instantly, but I'm now mature enough to not blame the rest of the hollows."

Lilynette stared at him and dropped to the ground.

"I miss him... " She said suddenly, forcing Ichigo to look at her.

"Yeah... there isn't a day when I don't miss my Mom too, but at least the pain subsided. Give it time... it's exactly as they say. Time heals." He absent-mindedly patter her on the head, making her to look up at him with teary eyes.

Her lips trembled as she noticed his gentle smile and the dam with her feelings broke.

"Uwaaah!" She jumped at him and started to cry heavily, soaking his clothes with her tears.

Ichigo was surprised at her actions, but remembering his sisters, he didn't push her away, instead he pulled her into embrace.

"It's gonna be fine. Just let it out." He said gently and patted her back.

She clutched his arms, sobbing quietly.

Trying to soothe her, he started to rock her back and forth, just like a baby. It seemed to be working, as after a while, her sobs became softer and her grip got a little bit looser.

When the waterfall of tears finally stopped Ichigo wanted to release her, as he was sure that she'd be embarrassed, but she stopped him.

"Don't..." She muttered and buried her head deeper in his chest.

Ichigo almost blushed when he felt something small and squishy on his stomach but forced it away.

'Damn hormones. It's just breasts for god's sake. She needs some support, not a blushing idiot.'

After a moment he heard her mumble something.

"Sorry, I couldn't understand."

"I asked if I could sleep here. It's comfy and I don't want to be alone." She mumbled.

The blush was back again, forcing its was onto Ichigo's cheeks.

"Uhm... sure, if you want to." He replied feeling a bit awkward.

"Thanks... " She mumbled quietly and after few more minutes, Ichigo heard a peaceful snoring, indicating that the small Arrancar was already asleep.

'I could use some sleep too.' He thought and closed his eyes, slowly drifting into sleep himself.

* * *

He awoke at the movements of a small weight on his chest. Groggily, he opened his eyes, lifting his head a little, to see the green-haired Arrancar still lying on the bed, hugging him in her sleep.

Those movements were actually caused by her head, trying to shift itself into more comfortable position and burying itself into his chest more.

Lilynette's mouth were little bit open, peaceful expression on her face and her cheek pressed on him, pushing some drool out of her mouth, causing Ichigo to grimace a little.

He was considering waking her up as he didn't want to be covered in her saliva, but remembering the difference in her crying face the day before and the expression she had right now, he decided to let her sleep for a bit longer.

Observing her steady breathing, he couldn't help but notice more of her features.

'She is kinda cute.' He thought and almost wondered why wasn't he freaking out, since he slept in the same bed with a girl. Inattentively, he stroke her short green hair, thinking about his sisters and how were they doing back in the World of the Living.

Being so deep in thoughts, Ichigo haven't noticed that Lilynette opened her eyes and has been studying him intensively ever since he put his hand on her head.

"You didn't strike me as a guy who would behave so familiarly towards a girl he met only few hours before." She broke the silence and made Ichigo's head snap in her direction with wide eyes and a pink cheeks.

He almost instantly retracted his hand from her head.

"Sorry, I was thinking and paying no attention to what was I doing."

She grinned and caught his hand.

"I didn't say it was bothering me. Actually, it feels kinda nice."

"Oh... okay." Ichigo said and continued to stroke her head awkwardly.

They lied in silence for a while, Ichigo nervously looking around and Lilynette mumbling in delight.

"You know... I realize that this is weird. I too, hardly know you, yet I'm here, lying on you, and letting you touch me. Maybe it's because your reiatsu that you've given me. When I'm near you, I feel relaxed. You are probably freaking out in your mind, aren't you?" She muttered loud enough for him to hear her and watched as he nodded shortly.

"Why aren't you?" Ichigo asked back.

She shrugged and turned her head on her other cheek.

"I may look like this, but I'm a lot older than you are. You shouldn't treat me as a little girl." Was the only thing she said and another silence fell on them.

"Uhm... so if you know that I'm little bit freaking out... could you move?" Ichigo asked her hopefully.

"No, you're really comfy." She shot back, silencing him again.

"I don't understand you. Yesterday, when you noticed that me, a shinigami, is in the same room as you are, you were almost ready to attack me and now you're telling me that you're miraculously feeling relaxed next to me?" Ichigo asked again.

This time, she sighed and propped herself on him and stared him in the eyes.

"I'm asking myself the same thing. It's not like I suddenly like shinigami or anything. Last night you told me, that it was your decision to trust us, Arrancars. This is the same thing. I decided to trust you... at least a tiny bit." She grimaced a little and lied back down.

"Now that Starrk's dead, I have no one. Sure, there's Harribel and her Fraccioń and from what I can tell, Neliel's Fracción is here and that means that she's probably here somewhere too and all of them are nice and funny... but... I need something else... You helped me, gave me your own reiatsu, you listened to me and you didn't push me away when I cried. To me, a hollow, it's something that happens once, maybe twice in a lifetime."

Ichigo scratched his head nervously.

"You're welcome?"

"Awww, you work really fast, Lilynette. Only few hours and you're already in bed with him... I'm almost jealous." Mila Rose's voice interrupted their talk.

Ichigo jerked himself and turned to the doorway, where Harribel's Fracción stood chuckling and blushing a little at the slightly intimate position the two of them lied in. Harribel stood next to them with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Hey Icchi, I'm-" Nel showed up suddenly, still a bit bandaged and when she noticed Ichigo and Lilynette together in bed, she widened her eyes comically and gasped.

"Oh Ichhi! How could you, she's just a little girl!" She exclaimed in an accusing voice.

It took Ichigo only few seconds to understand what she meant and he jumped from the bed, shaking Lilynetter from himself in the process, with the red face.

"What are you talking about! It's not like that I swear! She just didn't want to be alone... wait... what are you doing here Nel? Are you okay?" He yelled nervously.

Nel flashed him a smile, while Harribel Fracción started to openly laugh at him.

"I'm fine Icchi... but... you're already cheating on me... " She wiped a virtual tear from her face and giggled at Ichigo's stunned face.

"Give it up. Once she starts with it, she won't stop until you admit something." Lilynette told him while brushing herself from the dust.

"But so you know, Neliel-sama, nothing happened, we just slept." She told the madly giggling Nel who nodded in response.

"Oh Lilynette, you look so cute now that you're grew up a bit." Nel exclaimed after she finally stopped giggling.

"Right? Aren't I cute? And look at that, I finally have boobs!" Lilynette proudly showed her chest with two medium-sized lumps on it.

They laughed together and when everybody left the room, Ichigo finally moved.

"Women..." He shook his head in exasperation.

He almost bumped into Nel, who was waiting for him outside of the room.

"Thank you Icchi." She whispered and briefly hugged him.

"For what?" He blinked in surprise.

"For helping Lilynette. I thought that she'd be depressed after learning that Starrk was dead, but it seems that she's fine. You can say whatever you want to, but I'm sure that it is thanks to you." She said with a wide smile.

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest but seeing Nel's happy face, he rather shook his head.

"Yeah, no problem..."

* * *

"... and that is all I can say about Kurosaki Ichigo, Master."

"I see."

It was the only hours after the group of Adjuchas attacked the survivors of the Winter War, living in the Las Noches, that their leader, masked Vasto Lorde, completed his report to his Master.

'So the rumours of your strength are true, Kurosaki Ichigo. You are indeed worthy of being the one, who could bring the new era.' Humanoid figure, hidden in the shadows that everyone called 'The Master' thought in wonder.

'You are however, not yet ready for what's going to come. If you are to be the successor, you have to abandon this ridiculous thought of being a shinigami, otherwise _he_ will have to force it out of you.'

He was sitting on his small throne without any sort of movement, making his subordinates nervous.

"W-what should we do, Master?" Vasto Lorde on his right, with the thin body but with huge and long arms, ended with claws asked, bowing his head as low as he could.

He gulped when he noticed that his Master tilted his head a little and let some light fall onto his face, showing his terrifying grin.

"Do nothing. He will come here and when he'll do... we'll have fun."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the former residence of Aizen Sosuke, Las Noches, the small group of its tenants met up in the main hall.

It was the same room the shinigami mastermind used for his meetings with his own subordinates, the Espada.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Harribel-san?" Ichigo asked the ex-Espada, sitting on his left with a neutral expression.

She glanced at him and pointed at the doors.

"We're still waiting for Neliel-san and Grimmjow."

"You think he'll come?" Ichigo looked at her in disbelief.

The blonde send him an almost invisible wink.

"Oh, believe me, he will come."

He almost wanted to ask her for an explanation, when loud voices interrupted him.

"Gah, get off me woman. I said I wanted to be alone."

"Now, now, Grimmy, be a good boy, or I'll have to punish you."

Ichigo turned his head to Harribel and her Fracción, who were trying to keep their composure, but failing miserably, with a gaping mouth.

"Is that... Nel and Grimmjow? Since when are they so friendly with each other?" He muttered in surprise.

'And did she just call him Grimmy? Oh, I'll have to remember that, that's pure gold blackmail material.'

"Neliel-sama seems to like cats very much and since Grimmjow's Resurrección is Pantera... well... " Appaci answered him with a twitching mouth, trying to contain her chuckles.

'Well I'll be damned...' Ichigo thought and watched as the dynamic duo finally arrived at the scene.

"Ah sorry we're late, but Grimmy was playing grumpy cat and didn't want to come." Nel apologized, patting Grimmjow on the head.

When the said Arrancar spotted Ichigo sitting next to the Harribel, his face reddened and steam seemed to come out from his ears.

He turned to Nel and growled.

"I told you not to call me that! And I'm a panther goddamnit, not cat!"

He growled again when he heard a small chuckle escape Ichigo's mouth.

"Something you want to say, Kurosaki? You're in luck that I'm in no mood for killing."

Ichigo held up his hands in defense.

"Nah, I'm just surprised you're here... Grimmy." He smirked at the blue-haired Arrancar.

Grimmjow widened his eyes and a dark look settled on his face.

"Oh, you will pay for that Kurosaki..." He started to chuckle quietly, but evilly.

He stopped however, when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a chill ran through his spine. Turning his head, he gulped as he came face to face with smiling Nel, who was giving off a dangerous aura.

"What did I tell you, Grimmy? Be a good boy and don't make me punish you." She whispered into his ear.

Ichigo watched them silently and gulped just like Grimmjow, when he felt the strange vibe coming from the usually childish Arrancar.

'Damn she can be scary. It's almost like she isn't Nel.'

He glanced at Grimmjow.

'It looks like te bastard went through some punishment already. I almost pity the fool...'

"Neliel, Grimmjow, take a seat. We should discuss our course of action towards those, who attacked us." Harribel greeted them and motioned them to sit down, what they (in Grimmjow's case begrudgingly) did.

"You have something in mind?" Nel asked her with interest.

"Yes... since we all think that this attack was orchestrated by somebody else and it's probably only one of many, I think we should find their hideout and take the fight to them." Harribel replied after a moment of silence.

"Lady Harribel?" Her Fracción looked at her in surprise and they weren't the only one.

Ichigo and Grimmjow were too in shock. The blonde former Espada was probably the most peaceful from them, besides Nel and now she wanted to initiate an attack?

"The longer we let them gather their forces, the worse it'll probably get. You saw it during the attack too. That Vasto Lorde let his subordinated to be killed without batting an eyelash, that means he must have a way to gather more of them. He only interfered when it looked like we were going to win. Something is fishy about all of this so the sooner we solve this, the better."

"I agree that something's off about it, but do you really think we should be the one to invade them? What if it's some sort of trap?" Ichigo objected.

"That's why only the strongest of us would go." Harribel replied and sighed when her Fracción started to yell at her, infuriated with the decision.

"Girls, I'm sorry, but I can't let you go. We may have face not Adjuchas but Vasto Lorde and no matter how high I think of you, you wouldn't stand a chance against one. Not to mention if there would be more of them. Even I can take only on one or two at once." She said, trying to calm her Fracción down.

"I agree, my Fracción will stay here too. It will be tough on us too. Me, Harribel-san, Grimmjow and Ichigo are strong but even we will be in trouble if they have more Vasto Lorde." Nel stated in serious voice.

Ichigo sighed and rubbed his temples.

"What I'm more worried about is their Master, that the Vasto Lorde, who was with those attacking Adjuchas, mentioned. If he's strong enough to be commanding Vasto Lorde... I have no idea who can that be." He frowned when he heard Grimmjow snort.

"You're afraid Kurosaki? Don't worry, if you'll pussy out, I'll kill him myself." Grimmjow said confidently.

"I'm not afraid but think about it. The only person that we know of, that commanded a group of Vasto Lorde, was Aizen and you all know how freakishly strong that guy was." Ichigo shot back, earning grim expressions from the occupants of the room.

"That's true... well, you did defeat Aizen after all, so what are we worried about, right?" Nel smiled at Ichigo who smiled back, but in his mind he was concerned.

'Yeah, I defeated Aizen, but right now I'm without my bankai. I'm confident that I could take down someone of Aizen's caliber even with only my shikai... probably... well at least the Aizen without Hogyoku... but I don't like it.'

"Right now, we mainly need to find the location of their hideout. Grimmjow, you wander through the Hueco Mundo most from all of us, so I'm leaving this task to you. You're strong enough to defend yourself even if you came up against one Vasto Lorde so you should be able to do it." Harribel glanced at Grimmjow, who smirked confidently.

'Clever girl, aiming at his pride will make him do it regardless of his opinion.' Ichigo thought with his own smirk.

"You can go out immediately after we finish this meeting. You're smart enough so I trust you'll be able to find something in two days. Even if you can't find anything, report back so that we know you're still alive." Harribel looked back at her Fracción.

"Meanwhile, the three of us will try to prepare for the attack. I have something I want to try so if anyone wants to find me, I'll be training with girls." She met everyone's eyes and nodded.

"That's everything." She stood up and left the room with her Fracción.

Ichigo glanced at Nel who was whispering something into Grimmjow's ear.

He couldn't hear anything but whatever it was, it made Grimmjow turn red and he ran away with the speed of sound, leaving Nel giggling madly.

"Uhm... Nel? Since when were you and Grimmjow friends?" Ichigo asked her bewildered.

She grinned wildly.

"Well, since I saw his Resurrección. I mean, isn't he cute with those cat ears?" She asked him with a smirk startling Ichigo with the image of Grimmjow with cat ears.

When he tried to imagine it, he started to laugh madly.

"Haha, I bet he wasn't very happy about it."

She flashed him a wide smile.

"Oh he wasn't. But I... persuaded... him to do his Resurrección for me a few times."

Suddenly Ichigo gulped when he remembered the strange aura she gave off before and understood how she did it.

"R-right, so you're now what? Friends?"

Nel just whistled.

"Maybe... " She winked at Ichigo and left the room, leaving him alone.

'...women...' He shook his head and departed to his room too.

* * *

When he opened the doors to his temporary room, he immediately noticed, that Lilynette was once again there, sitting in a chair and swinging her legs in boredom. He contemplated about sending her away, but he admitted that even if he still considered her behaviour weird, her company kept him from thinking about other things.

"Sooo? What was so freaking important that I couldn't even attend that meeting?" She asked him without alerting him that she knew of his presence.

"Even if you could have been there, you wouldn't go because you'd consider it boring." Ichigo replied, making her snort in amusement.

"Yeah, yeah, don't change the subject."

Ichigo put his zanpaktou near the bed and lied down.

"We are going to strike those, who attacked you yesterday." He said, earning a raised eyebrow from the small Arrancar. She was told earlier that day about the incident by Nel, with Ichigo's help, who added the information about what happened after Nel escaped to the World of the Living.

"Really? When are we going to do it?" She asked in excitement.

Ichigo frowned and turned his head to her.

"First of all, you are not going." He pointed his finger at her and watched as she jumped in anger.

"What? Who decided that? Why?"

Seeing that she wouldn't calm down, Ichigo motioned her to sit back down and listen to him.

"Ultimately, it was Harribel-san's decision, but I completely agree with her. It will be just me, Nel, Grimmjow and her, who's going to go. Even Harribel-san' Fraccion won't go. We are even considering the fact that this could eventually result in some sort of trap and the four of us are strong enough to take on even Vasto Lorde by ourself. Do you think you could handle one alone?"

She almost instantly retorted back but bit her lip to stop herself and hesitantly shook her head.

"It's not that we think you are weak. It's just that we think they may be too strong. Everything about the yesterday's attack smells fishy and we can't take enough precautions as it is. Maybe we won't even go, since everything depends on whether Grimmjow can find any clue about their whereabout or not. We're awaiting his return two days from now and then we will know more."

Eventually, Lilynette calmed down after rethinking the whole situation. She was still angry about being left out of the operation, but considering the threat they may come across, she reluctantly leaned back to the chair and started swinging her legs again.

"You know, leaving something this important to Grimmjow will only come back and bite you in the ass." She stated and grinned at Ichigo, who, with a small grin himself, agreed with her.

"Yeah, well... I'm not that familiar with Hueco Mundo, Harribel-san is apparently too valuable, as she's now considered to be the leader of this place and Nel should be still resting from her injuries. Even Grimmjow shouldn't be moving around too much, but he's crazy enough to ignore everybody. And something tells me, that he's burning with revenge for his loss against those Adjuchas and wants to settle the score."

Lilynette nodded, as it seemed that everyone was aware of Grimmjow's pride.

'...and maybe he wants to avenge Nel's injuries too?... they are behaving somewhat differently to each other, or am I just thinking too much?' Ichigo thought.

"I'm bored. What are we going to do? You have two days free, we should do something fun." Lilynette whined and kicked her legs up.

It shook Ichigo out of his thoughts and he suddenly grinned deviously at her, to which she reacted by backing a little from him.

"Oh, since you are aware of the fact that you're no match for Vast Lorde, maybe I should train you a little bit." He started to chuckle and Lilynette widened her eyes as he closed the distance between them.

'Maybe I should have been quiet.' She gulped.

* * *

During the next two days, Ichigo kept his word and worked Lilynette's ass off. Since he still couldn't use his own bankai, he took the opportunity to train himself too, wanting to get more familiar with the unique abilities of his shikai and the nature of his zanpaktou.

It resulted in squeezing every bit of energy out of Lilinette and she always dozed off immediately after they returned back to Ichigo's room.

That was another thing. Ever since the first time she came to him that evening, after she woke up from her coma, Lilynetter never went back to her old room and stubbornly decided to stay with Ichigo all the time. Against his protest she even slept with him, using him as a pillow without any shame.

Being not even eighteen years old teen, Ichigo was disturbed by this kind of behaviour and reprimanded her that he was a man and that if he was a scumbag, he could have taken advantage of her in her sleep, to which she simply responded.

"But you are not a scumbag and you won't do it." Making him feel little bit touched by her trust.

After the third night, he grudgingly had to admit that her innocent actions slowly got to him and he was feeling a lot relaxed, even with her, partly lying on him.

She was not like Yoruichi or other women he knew, that tried to tease him and she simply enjoyed his presence.

It was new to him and he liked it. He was still worried that it was because of her sudden loss of Starrk but after their first talk, she never brought up the fallen Primera to any conversation, so he left the topic alone.

It was when Ichigo talked to his inner spirit about better use of his darkness element, with Lilynette lying on the bed, sprawled across his stomach, when Harribel barged in.

She raised only one eyebrow at the scene in front of her and looked Ichigo in the eyes.

"It's time, Grimmjow's back and he found out where that Vasto Lorde returned to after the attack."

Ichigo felt Lilynette tense a bit and nodded.

"Good. It's time for counterattack."

End of chapter 9.

**Aaaand that's a wrap. Yeah, I'm bad, I stopped the chapter just before some action.**

**At least you'll know what you can expect from Chapter 10 - Hueco Mundo pt.3 (Counterattack).**


	10. Chapter 10: Hueco Mundo part 3

**I'm late yet again, bad personal stuff happened and I had to stop writing or it would turn into too dark fic. But now it should be fine so you can enjoy yet another chapter.**

**Things will slowly pick up from here. Next chapter will probably be last in this Hueco Mundo arc and I'll finally be able to deliver a story about the origins of the Bleach-verse from my point of view.**

**btw: no, grimmjow is not getting any from nel :D **

**Without further ado... chapter 10.**

**Chapter 10 – Hueco Mundo pt. 3 (Counterattack)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

"How reliable is this information, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked the blue haired Arrancar, as they were speeding through the vast sands of Hueco Mundo along with the two remaining former Espada.

Grimmjow growled in answer and shot him a dirty look.

"Are you questioning my abilities, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo snorted in response and focused his eyes on their path.

"No, I'm just being cautious. What if we're being lured there on purpose? Isn't it too easy to find out about their hideout after just two days of searching? Something doesn't add up and I don't want to see someone get hurt because we were too hasty."

Gimmjow frowned a little but gave no reply to that.

After Harribel informed Ichigo about Grimmjow's findings, he rushed to meet them in the tea-room, where they briefly discussed about their roles in this counterattack. Wasting no time, they immediately left the Las Noches, with Harribel informing her Fracción about their departure.

They have been running towards the location Grimmjow provided for almost an hour, yet they met nobody.

"We have no other choice but to trust our skills. We already talked about this, the clash between us and those unknown forces would happen sooner or later and I'd prefer to do it when I'm ready." Harribel stated from his left.

"I know... but you do realize that the Menos forest could easily be our graveyard." Ichigo replied in a slightly concerned sigh.

"Quit your whining already, Kurosaki. Their hideout should be on the outer edge of the Menos forest, that's where only Gillians or maybe few Adjuchas live. I doubt we'll come across someone stronger... well, at least till we'll meet that Master." Grimmjow yelled at him and licked his mouth hungrily.

"Even if we do meet someone strong... I've been wanting to get revenge for that strike at Las Noches." He chuckled darkly and cracked his knuckles.

Ichigo begrudgingly admitted that even he was in the mood for a decent fight.

Those two days that they have been waiting for Grimmjow, he began training Lilynette and while it was a nice workout it wasn't enough for him. He was getting the hang of his flame of darkness and could use it more versatile than before. But using it against an enemy was the only way of learning how to control them perfectly, without giving in to his own darkness.

"Easy Grimmjow, don't forget that we're not her for your sadistic pleasure or revenge. We are here simply because it is inevitable. I don't prefer violence, but if they want to hurt my friends, I'll get them before it can happen." Nel said in serious voice, not even using her nickname for Grimmjow, showing just how grave the situation was.

"Tsch." Was the only thing that the battle-hungry Arrancar said.

They stopped after five more minutes, just before they entered the Menos forest.

"From now on no more talking, be prepared for anything. They may throw some sneaky attacks at us, so don't lose your concentration." Harribel warned them and waited for each of them to nod.

When they did, she nodded herself and they cautiously entered the place in Hueco Mundo, where the most of the screams came from.

* * *

Deep in the Menos Forest, tall bodies of Gillians made their way towards the group of invaders, with a menacing eyes looking at them from behind using. Surge of reiatsu from the hidden figure forced them to obey its commands and their pace increased.

These huge Gillians, that consisted of hundreds of hollows piled together, creating a single entity, had no unique identity nor they had any coherent thoughts. They managed using only their instincts. Most of the time, their instincts were telling them to devour more hollows in order to silence the voices inside their head.

Right now, their instincts were screaming fear from the one behind their backs.

The one with the menacing eyes and a skull-like mask gave them one more glance and grinned deviously.

It was time to start the show.

'Weird, even if they are scared, there should have been some hollows around us, yet I can't feel anybody.' Ichigo thought as they ran deeper into the forest.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Harribel raising her hand in front of them, preventing them from going further.

"What is it, Harribel?" Nel landed next to her with raised eyebrow.

Harribel turned her head to the group and they saw her worried face.

"I don't know... I can't feel any presence around us, yet I'm sure I can hear some movements some distance in front of ..." She went silent as all of them widened their eyes after great numbers of glowing eyes pierced the darkness around them, hovering in the air.

"Gillians. Dozens of them." Nel stated in surprise.

"Damnit, how could they have surrounded us without us noticing?" Harribel cursed and prepared for fight.

Ichigo looked around himself and saw that the huge hollows were decreasing the distance between them and the group.

"Weird, only when we finally saw them I could sense them at last. Not even a moment before." Ichigo commented and took out his zanpaktou, measuring the enemy.

"Doesn't matter, we can finally fight, think about it later." Grimmjow yelled and jumped in the air, landing on the nearest Gillian, kicking it to the head and sending it stumbling to others.

That was apparently the signal to start the fight, as the other Gillians opened their mouths, red energy forming at the edge.

'Cero.' Ichigo cursed under his breath and all of them had to jump and separate otherwise they would have gotten struck by a dozens of cero, which weren't that strong when hit by one. Nevertheless, combined force of a dozens similar cero could hurt even them.

"Everyone, take your side and get rid of them!" Harribel exclaimed and turned to the hollows in front of her.

"Right." Nel nodded and did the same, leaving Ichigo standing before quite a number of enemies.

"Well, let's get it over with." He muttered and charged forward.

_With Grimmjow_

The Gillian that was send stumbling created an open space for Grimmjow to release his barrage of destructive kicks, that managed to even tear the Gillians masks with the sheer force of them, killing them instantly.

"Pf, I don't even need to use my zanpaktou for the likes of you." He smirked and reflexively, he dodged an incoming Cero from behind, rotating in mid air and ripping another Gillian with his claws in the process.

He jumped on the falling enemy, bouncing from him to the next one, throwing a drop kick on his head, making it explode from the impact, splashing his blood on Grimmjow's attire and a few droplets of blood landed on his face.

He slowly licked them and hungrily grinned at the remaining Gillians, whose instincts realized the difference in strength and made them back away from him a little.

"No fucking chance, you all pussies are going down." He flashed to the nearest one, while charging his own Cero in right hand.

He plowed it right through the hollow's skull and released the Cero on the ones standing in the back, killing them at the contact with his attack.

His instincts screaming at him, he sidestepped another Cero, but got hit directly with the second one, that was sent his way.

Rest of the Gillians froze when the smoke from the explosion cleared, revealing unharmed, but slightly pissed Grimmjow.

He was sending off waves of angry reiatsu, making the tall hollows slowly turn, trying to escape his wrath.

"Shouldn't have done that..." Grimmjow growled and jumped at the last Gillians, biting off a chunk of its head and spitting it on the one on his left, confusing the hollow with the blood.

"Time to end this." He landed in front of the four remaining Gillians, charging a Cero in his both hands.

"Sayonara, suckers!" He yelled and released his attacks.

_With Nel_

She was speeding off to the other side, graciously dodging any Cero that came into her path, leaving only light footprints on the sands of Hueco Mundo. Her face showed no longer any emotion, as she abandoned them in the moment they were surrounded.

Nel was an odd hollow in her own league. Every hollow acted based on instincts of survival and being strong, most of the time it meant the instinct of the killer. Survival of the fittest. There was no place in Hueco Mundo for the weak.

That was the exact reason, why Nel could have been considered odd. She never enjoyed the killing, always preferring to solve her problems with negotiations and using the violence was the last resort for her.

But even she was realizing that in this moment, there was no way out of this other than fighting. It became clear to her the moment she agreed with the plan to counterattack. The only way to ensure that her companions... her friends, could ever be safe, was to show the attackers, who is stronger, and thus... violence. If this was about humans or other races, there may have been other solutions, but most of the hollows responded to a bloodbath, to strength.

With this in her mind, her face lost its usual soft expression, becoming neutral.

She dodged another Cero and jumped, high enough for her kick to reach the head of the nearest Gillian, tearing its head off, spraying the blood on the others next to it.

With a fluent and swift turn, her knee found the another victim of her raw strength.

Kicking from the falling body, she jumped into trajectory of the Gillian Cero. Without missing a beat, she swallowed it whole, grimacing at the horrible taste of the energy and adding her own reiryoku to it.

"Cero Doble!"

Her special Cero easily dispatched the row of Gillians that were unlucky and couldn't evade it.

Landing softly on the sand, she quickly charged her hands with energy and side-stepped the Cero from the remaining Gillians.

In a quick motion, she punched the air in front of her, releasing the energy stored in her arms.

"Bala!"

The attack blew a huge hole in the belly of her enemies, making them collapse on each other.

As their bodies started to disappear, she felt waves of Grimmjow's angry reiatsu and shook her head in exasperation.

'Hot-headed animal... '

_With Harribel_

The strongest of the remaining former Espada was calmly analyzing the situation she was in, all the while casually dodging or deflecting Gillian's Cero with her sword.

'Hmm, eight, nine...no, ten Gillians in front of me. Threat level, small... but if we are already facing off enemies, I should preserve my energy as much as I can. One Cero should dispose the most of them.'

Harribel was probably the most analytic member of the counter-attack force and she realized immediately that fighting like Grimmjow, with unnecessary movements and risk would probably came around and bite her in the ass later, when they'll most likely encounter Vasto Lorde.

With that thought, she flashed from her previous area and landed behind her opponents, who were too slow to realize her disappearance, therefore, they couldn't even see the attack, that killed most of them.

"Cero." Harribel calmly said and from the tip of her sword, a massive torrent of yellow energy emerged, tearing through the enormous bodies of the Gillians, instantly killing three of them.

Seeing that, she slashed with her sword, making her Cero to cover larger area and catching another Gillians with it.

She raised an eyebrow, when she realized that the shape of her attack was somewhat familiar to her.

'Oh...right, it looked like Kurosaki's Getsuga, or what is it called... interesting.'

Feeling a danger, she spun around, deflecting another Cero with her sword.

'So one of them managed to escape my Cero.' She thought in surprise as the last Gillian came into her view.

With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between them and with a quick slash, she cut him to two pieces.

Satisfied with herself, she turned to the side, where Ichigo should have been.

The sight in front of her fascinated her as the only thing she saw was a mixture of black and red reiryoku erupting all over the place.

'Such a thick and hard reiatsu... I'm starting to think that I'm fine leaving him to be an enigma...'

_With Ichigo_

Ichigo stood before the slowly moving Gillians, deciding on the course of his actions. With his hand on his zanpaktou, Shirosaki's voice stopped him.

**'No, don't use the blade. I think it's time for the review of the usage of your hollow powers.'**

'Say what?' Ichigo thought in surprise.

**'Well, I trained you in how to use your hollow powers in efficient way, but you haven't tried it against an enemy yet. Since these fuckers are only a lowly Gillians, I think that even you could fuck their asses without zanpaktou. Look at that blue-haired pussy, he's refusing to use his sword against someone this weak and nor should you.'**

Ichigo let go of his zanpaktou and shrugged.

His hollow was right... again. It was becoming a habit, that his inner spirits were right more often than he was.

It was pissing him off a little.

Without noticing he unconsciously raised his reiatsu a bit, covering himself in black steam, created by his darkness element.

He did it just as the Gillians finished charging their Cero and released them at him.

Since Ichigo was talking to his hollow, he didn't even notice the attacks coming at him, making them strike him with full force, raising the sand around him, obstructing the Gillians from seeing him for a while.

When the sand calmed down, basic instincts in Gillians started to make them back away from the weird shinigami, in the way they did when the other ones were fighting Grimmjow.

Ichigo was still in thoughts and looked like he didn't even notice being attacked.

His reiatsu, that was swirling around him in the shape of black steam, was so thick that even the combined Gillian's Cero couldn't penetrate it.

Ichigo was unharmed and it looked like his train of thoughts finally stopped when he looked up at his enemies.

"Hmm? Why are they backing off?" Ichigo asked himself confused.

Inside him mind, his hollow and old man clad in black facepalmed each other.

"Oh well, guess I'll try my hollow powers." Ichigo said and flashed through the Gillians, stopping when he was in the center.

"First lesson, Cero."

He focused and pushed his hollow reiryoku into the palm of his right hand.

Noticing an incoming Cero, he straightened his back and used his left hand to deflect it. Immediately after that, his right hand shot out.

"Cero." Red energy that flew out tore the Gillians in front of him but unlike the Cero of the others, it didn't stop there and continued to the roof of the Menos Forest, finally stopping in an explosion.

**'Nice for a shithead.'**

Ichigo scoffed, as he started to translate some of his hollow's insults into compliments.

"Second lesson, Bala."

Jumping high, so that he was on the level other Gillians had their heads, one again he pushed the hollow energy into his arms, letting it enter his palms.

He spun himself while punching the air in front of him with a quick thrusts.

"Bala."

Gillians didn't stand a chance as their heads were being blown off by the violent red energy coming at them in rapid rate.

When he was certain that all of his opponents were down, Ichigo landed on the sand with the air around him full of his black reiatsu, now mixed with his potent red hollow energy.

**'Fuck yeah... well, we didn't get to the last lesson with High-speed regeneration but I think I'd be insulted if a mere Gillian managed to injure you. So, good job, my padawan.' **Shirosaki laughed and went silent after a moment.

"Yeah, I'd be insulted myself." Ichigo muttered.

Looking around, he saw that his companions finished their fights too, with none of them injured.

He joined them after dusting himself.

_With everyone_

"Took you long enough, Kurosaki." Grimmjow said immediately after Ichigo flashed to them.

"What's the matter Grimmy, didn't get your share of blood?" Ichigo replied mockingly.

A single vein bulged on Grimmjow's forehead and he growled angrily.

"Enough you two. Don't drop your guard yet. Since we encountered Gillians, it means we're about to face somebody stronger soon enough." Harribel scolded them.

"You thought about that too, huh?" Nel asked as they started to move again, towards their goal.

"What do you mean?" Grimmjow asked in a little calmer voice.

"Think about it. Ever since you became an Espada, one of the strongest beings in Hueco Mundo, have you been attacked by a mere Gillian?" Harribel asked him.

Grimmjow frowned and thought about it, shaking his head after a minute.

"Exactly. Gillians are maybe not bright, but even they can feel the difference in power. They would never attack us willingly. It was the equivalent of a suicide, no matter in what numbers they would attack us, they would end up dead." Harribel muttered.

Grimmjow's face showed enlightenment.

"You're saying that somebody, a lot stronger then them somehow threatened them into attacking us. Probably the same person who made those Adjuchas attack us at Las Noches... that unknown Master?"

Harribel just nodded.

"I get the feeling that he's testing and the next enemies we'll face, will be Adjuchas. Nothing we can't handle, but it'll just tire us." Nel frowned.

"And I get the feeling that he wants us tired." Ichigo finished darkly.

"Well, he can go fuck himself. This time I'm prepared and I'm not about to let some lowly Adjuchas defeat me. They were lucky last time as they surprised us. I'm the King, and I shall prove it to them." Grimmjow growled again in anger.

Ichigo almost wanted to say something but Harribel's face stopped him with an expression that was almost saying "Don't even bother...", so he held his tongue and together, they entered the deeper into Menos Forest, not even realizing that they should have already been at the enemy camp...

* * *

_Soul Society (Central Great Underground Prison)_

'So this is where it all ends?'

The traitor of the Soul Society, a man, whose betrayal affected many, whose action cost lives of even more, a shinigami with unclear intentions, a former Captain of the 5th Division... Sosuke Aizen.

His punishment being imprisonment for twenty thousand years, without contact with any person, began the day of his defeat at the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo.

His residence as of today?

The deepest level of the Central Great Underground Prison.

In other name, Muken.

The level, reserved for the greatest criminals of Soul Society, which actions were so severe, they caused unprecedented disturbance in the whole dimension.

This was where Aizen Sosuke contemplated his fate.

'Where did I go wrong? Did I underestimate Kurosaki Ichigo? I can't believe that he could surpass the power of the Hogyoku, which is basically... I see, so that's it, huh.'

Under the heavy bandage he was strapped with, Aizen Sosuke wanted to laugh at his own stupidity.

'I was under the impression that it haven't manifested, but it must have been somehow influencing his soul... yes... that is the only logical explanation as I, myself regretfully don't posses it. I refuse to believe that it could be something else...'

'Father... I failed you...'

Aizen's head fell on his shoulders in sadness.

It was in that moment when he felt a pain in his limbs and felt some sticky fluid running on his skin.

With surprise, he noticed that the bandages, that were restricting his face, fell off.

"I don't know who you are, but I'll let you know that I cannot be killed as I'm immortal." Was the first sentence that Aizen Sosuke muttered after a few days of involuntary silence.

...

At first, he saw nothing, he could only hear footsteps from afar and feel a light powerful enough that it resonated with his soul, but so weak, it couldn't penetrate the eternal and endless darkness of the Muken.

"Show yourself." Aizen said calmly. He wasn't afraid, with Hogyoku inside of him, there was nothing that could kill him. Even Kurosaki Ichigo couldn't do it himself.

...

"Who said anything about killing you, Aizen Sosuke."

Aizen's eyes widened and threatened to fell off.

"You... how? There should have been another year before-" He was interrupted when the man in front of him raised his hand.

"Feel it for yourself, I'm not the man you think I am. We were just hoping that seeing this face would make you remember your roots."

With a frown, Aizen tried to feel the man's reiatsu, realizing his mistake.

"I see, so what is it that you want... how the hell did you even manage to get here?"

The man came closer.

"You are behaving differently from your usual calm demeanor. Is it from seeing this face?"

Aizen sneered at him.

"Just answer."

Man grinned smugly.

"Let's just say this darkness, the eternal shadow, is our... domain. You should now what happened."

"So this...the Muken is ... ?"

Man nodded.

"Yes, and you were right, there is still one year left, but with your help, we can speed up the process greatly. What do you say, Aizen Sosuke, will you help us?" He walked to Aizen, stopping just a few inches before him, letting him see the outline of his black robe and his long black hair.

Aizen shuddered at the small distance between them and his thoughts aimed at one person.

'I will not fail again.'

"Yes, take me to him."

* * *

_Soul Society (Captain's meeting – 1st Division Barracks)_

"What?!" Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Genryuusai gaped at the rude messenger, who interrupted the Captain's meeting in the 1st Division Barracks.

It was only the third time in his life that he gaped at someone.

But he wasn't the only one.

Every Captain present was staring at the messenger in shock.

Even the indifferent Captains, like Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Kenpachi Zaraki, were in utter surprise at the news.

'Maaan, what did I deserve for this.' The messenger thought in panic as the different reiatsu from every Captain flared wildly around the room, enough for him to be lying completely on the floor, unable to move. From his eyes, he could see that even the building itself looked like its walls were being pushed back with reiatsu.

Yamamoto realized that the messenger couldn't speak and with few deep breaths, he withdrew his reiatsu from the room, allowing the messenger to at least kneel before him and talk.

"Repeat what you just said and are you positive about it? Absolutely, one-hundred percent positive?"

The messenger gulped and nodded.

"Yes, it was checked personally immediately after the alarms went off...

... Aizen Sousuke has escaped."

* * *

_Hueco Mundo (Menos Forest)_

"We've been running for quite some time without anyone showing up, it's unsettling." Nel commented as they were dashing through the forest.

"Yeah, it is." Ichigo agreed and shuddered.

"What is it?" Harribel asked him.

"I don't know... I get the feeling that something happened in Soul Society..." Ichigo replied with a frown.

"Heads up, I can feel reiatsu signatures ahead of us." Grimmjow yelled at them from the front.

"I told him to be quiet..." Harribel shook her head with a sigh.

"Yeah well, it is Grimmjow we're talking about." Ichigo replied and sped up to catch up with the blue-haired Arrancar.

He found him standing still, already in a fight stance.

"How many?" Ichigo asked him.

"I'm not sure, around twenty, maybe more."

"Seems like it." Harribel agreed next to him.

"That Master must be someone very powerful or very important. I don't remember that many Adjuchas being under someone's rule aside from Barragan and even he didn't rule that many Adjuchas only normal hollows." Nel showed up last.

"Got that right, bitch!"

Large Adjuchas that resembled a polar bear yelled as he came from behind a tree.

Grimmjow stared at him and turned to others.

"Okay, that one's definitely mine."

Said Adjuchas growled in response, but didn't attack and waited as his allies slowly surrounded Ichigo, Nel, Harribel and Grimmjow.

"Always trying to surround you... boring." Grimmjow said and released some of his reiatsu as a warning.

"Impressive reiatsu, but you are outnumbered." Another Adjuchas stated, licking his mouth.

"That doesn't mean we're outgunned." Harribel replied and took out her sword, along with Ichigo and Nel.

"I see you're getting serious. Oi, Ursiu, I'm taking the orange-haired cutie." Female cat-llike Adjuchas yelled at the polar-bear like Adjuchas, called Ursiu and readied her claws.

Ursiu grunted in response.

"Attack!" He exclaimed and the fight began.

'What is the point of stating who you're taking if there will be at least five others that'll do the same.' Ichigo sweatdropped and sidestepped the claws of the female Adjuchas, while kicking the tiger one in the face, sending him crashing into the lizard one, who couldn't evade him in time.

Ichigo spun around and blocked the incoming Cero with his sword.

'So that's the difference in Gillian's Cero and the one from Adjuchas. Interesting.' He thought while trying to analyze the result.

He stabbed behind him, catching the ostrich-like Adjuchas in surprise and drawing first blood.

'It seems that the difference between a normal hollow and a Gillian, and between a Gillian and Adjuchas increases exponentially... if that's the case, than Toshiro was right. Fighting capability of Vasto Lorde can be above the Captain of Gotei 13... not that it should surprise me, I already fought almost half of the Espada... but still, it's interesting.'

The fact that Ichigo looked like he was thinking about something else and still able to fight off multiple Adjuchas effectively, already killing the second one seemed to enrage the other ones as they started to attack more viciously, gaining his attention back to the fight.

Meanwhile Grimmjow was in his element as he was releasing barrage of brutal reiatsu-empowered kicks and punches all around him, tearing through the Adjuchas, wounding or even killing them.

In his battle-intoxicated state, he didn't notice a Cero coming at his back.

In the last moment his instincts overrode his delirium and made him widen his eyes as he realized the strength of the Cero.

He was in the process of turning when a green haired person flashed in front of him and swallowed the whole Cero and sending back a strengthened one, getting rid of two Adjuchas in an instant.

"Don't lower your guard, this was a combined Cero and even you could have been injured." Nel scolded Grimmjow with a frown.

He grunted and sent his own Cero backwards, beheading a small Adjuchas behind him.

"Pff, it'd be only a small burn at most. And it's none of your business, Neliel. I'd fine without your interference."

Nel smirked at him.

"I know, but right now we're fighting together and we need to be in our best possible condition if we are to fight multiple Vasto Lorde, no matter how unlikely that is... besides, I wanted to piss you off a little." She shot her tongue at him childishly and flashed away.

He widened his eyes and a vein bulged on his forehead, the second time in a same day.

"Damn woman!" He turned and released his anger at the nearest Adjuchas.

'What are those idiots doing?' Harribel thought mildly irritated as she bifurcated a dolphin like Adjuchas with her blade.

'Time to speed thing up.' She thought and started to charge her Cero, when she had to dodge an unexpectedly fast strike.

What shocked her more was the fact that she received a shallow cut above her elbow.

'It's just like the fight at Las Noches. It should be impossible for a mere Adjuchas to penetrate our Hierro, yet they can somehow do it. I wonder, is it because of their Master? Did he do something to them?'

She threw a cold gaze at the mantis like Adjuchas who cut her and too fast for him to notice, she flashed in front of him and let her Cero blew its upper body off.

Back with Ichigo, he already dispatched two more Adjuchas, making the number of Adjuchas that were attacking him, drop to three.

'And I haven't even used my full Shikai. Am I still getting stronger?' He wondered.

"Set the darkness ablaze, Zangetsu!"

'But I have to fight in it to be able to control my darkness even further.'

"W-what is this! Ursiu, what is with this ones reiatsu!" The cat Adjuchas yelled as dark energy surrounded Ichigo.

At her scream, other Adjuchas stopped attacking and looked at Ichigo with a fear evident in their eyes.

"You idiot, I thought you listened to the report, he's the one with the strange ability. Don't let those flames touch you, or else-" His speech was interrupted when Grimmjow's fist made contact with his jaw, sending him flying.

"Kurosaki, I don't know what that is, but it's giving me goosebumps, we'll definitely have to have a rematch!" Grimmjow called out to him with a slightly excited voice.

Ichigo looked at him incredulously and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"...crazy bastard." He finished quietly.

His eyes landing on the cat Adjuchas he readied his zanpaktou.

"You were the one who said you'll take on me. Where's your bravado now, Adjuchas?" Ichigo tried to tempt her into attacking and when he noticed her angry sneer, he knew he succeeded.

"What did you say?! Die!" She flashed to him, aiming a jab at his head.

Ichigo slowly and carefully dodged, while silently forcing the dark flames to catch her hand.

The cat Adjuchas widened her eyes when she felt something grab her and and with a stinging sensation she fell unconscious.

'What is that?' Harribel wondered when black energy erupted around Ichigo. She tried to get a feel of it but when her senses came into contact with it, she recoiled and a cold sweat appeared on her skin.

'... okay, I don't wanna know what that is, I'm just sure I don't to come into contact with it.' She dodged a slash aimed at her leg by jumping over the Adjuchas claws. With a quick jab, she made a hole in his head, killing the hollow.

She looked around herself.

'Seem like without a Vasto Lorde commanding them, they don't have the necessary ability to remain focused. That's why that group that attacked us at Los Noches was so dangerous. That Vasto Lorde was pushing them past their limits and he even attacked us when we tried to focus completely on Adjuchas.'

She tilted backwards, avoiding being impaled with a thin claw and kicked the hand up, creating an opening for an attack.

Seeing as the remaining Adjuchas, that fought her were in one line, she readied her sword.

"Ola Azul!" She exclaimed as her yellow spiritual energy within the hollow portion of the blade launched towards her opponents in the form of an energy blade projectile, tearing them in half.

'Icchi, was that always your spiritual energy? It feels terrifying.' Nel thought and shivered when she felt the nature of Ichigo's shikai.

Almost forgetting about her own fight, she cursed silently when she felt one cut on her leg and one on her arm.

"Yeah, your blood tastes good. Let me have some more, bitch." Bat Adjuchas licked his bloody claw, grinning widely.

Nel gritted her teeth and flashed to the rude hollow, kicking him in head so hard, she tore it off, spraying the blood all over the place.

She flashed back to her original position, trying to avoid his blood.

Small drop of it landed on her cheek and she wiped it off with her finger.

"Gross." She muttered and kicking the ground she jumped high, avoiding a Cero and landing on the remaining Adjuchas's shoulders, stamping him to the ground.

Not giving him a chance to recover, she plunged her sword into his skull, stopping his existence.

It took only few seconds for cat Adjuchas to return from being unconscious but when she did, every hollow on the scene froze from her sudden screaming.

Even Nel, Grimmjow and Harribel stopped in their tracks and stared at the hollow in pain.

It was their first time witnessing true power of Ichigo's zanpaktou, of his darkness element.

He never told them about it, as he completely forgot to inform them since they all had more important things on their minds.

"Gaaaaah! Stop it!" The Adjuchas screamed, trashing violently on the ground.

"Fucking idiot, I told her not to-" Ursiu cursed at her fate but when he got a closer look, he paled from the sight.

'This is... this is worse than reports...' He thought when another bloodcurling scream cut through the forest.

The Adjuchas affected with the dark flame was already scratching her head with her claws, creating deep wound all around her face.

Grimmjow was the only one who had no problem looking at the scene, but when a spasm went through the victims body and her arms lowered, even his face showed disgust and small amount of horror at her next actions.

Ichigo was already considering withdrawing his flames, he was sure that the hollow wouldn't be able to fight anymore, but in the next second he had to turn away and emptied the contents of his stomach.

She must have seen horrible visions when she suddenly aimed her claws at her lower body and plunged her hand into her genitals, violently ripping them out of her body with a sick sound.

She held them up in her hand for an instant and laughed crazily.

"See, now I can't do it anymore, ha-ha..." She whispered in deranged voice and fell on the ground, dead.

...

"That was sick Kurosaki... I don't know what you did to her, but it was sick..." Grimmjow stated with an obvious disgust in his voice and finished off the hollow in front of him that just stood there, unmoving.

"I didn't do anything, it was her own ... darkness, that ... did that to her." Ichigo said after wiping his mouth from the vomit, holding his stomach as another wave came to him.

'Darkness?' Harribel thought in surprise. She too, was rather stupefied and had to look away from the slowly disappearing body.

Nel didn't make a sound, but as a pacifist, she wanted to vomit herself.

"Y-you... monster!" Ursiu shouted and jumped at Ichigo, who winced at that and with a sad face dodged the incoming attack, letting the Adjuchas crash into the tree behind him.

With that the remaining Adjuchas renewed their attacks, this time solely focusing on Ichigo, which proved to be their mistake, as they haven't noticed that the other three survivors from Las Noches flashed to him for help.

Now that the hollows were in a small shock from the events that took place just a moments ago, they became an easy prey for the vastly superior opponents.

Their attacks being chaotic and slowed down, they proved to be no match against the brute power of Grimmjow's punches, Nel's kicks or Harribel's slashes.

It however, provided Ichigo with enough time to get his stomach under control.

'The more I use this power, the more I sick I become of myself. They say that the zanpaktou comes from within your soul... is my soul like that?' Ichigo wondered.

**'Of course not Ichigo, it's exactly the opposite. That's why you are the best candidate to bear this power. Only you can use it responsibly. As I told you before, this is still just a small price to pay for being able to protect... although fear not, when your power will become complete, you will see not just the darkness but also the light.' **Deep voice in his mind answered him, calming him dow a little.

'In that case I cannot wait for my power to become complete...' thought and shot a quick Bala at his opponents.

The chaotic fight was at the end soon enough, with only the Ursiu remaining alive, although badly wounded.

Ichigo cautiously came closer to him.

"Tell me, who is your so-called Master?"

The hollow laughed rasply.

"You'll see soon enough... but only for a short time, as you're no match for him, no matter how strong you are..." His laughter died as he blew his final breath.

"Well, that was fucking helpful." Grimmjow commented sarcastically and cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah... is anyone injured? I think we should rest for a minute, there's no point in rushing too much." Ichigo stated and looked at his companions.

They were mostly unharmed but he didn't miss a few scratches on their legs, arms and faces.

"Good idea." Harribel nodded and sat down, leaning backwards to the nearest tree.

"Right here?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

"Sure, since we just proved our strength there shouldn't be anyone who'd try to disrupt our rest." Nel answered and sat next to Harribel, further from Ichigo than she used to, what he noticed instantly.

"I guess my ability scared you?" He muttered sadly.

Nel looked at Harribel tentatively and sighed.

"Well, not scared per say, just... well, it wasn't a pleasant sight. What did you do exactly to her?" She asked quietly.

Harribel also glanced at him with a small amount of interest and caution.

"Well, that was the ability of my zanpaktou, the darkness element. Specifically, the dark flames that makes you relive your inner darkness and shows you your darkest desires and sins."

"Inter-fucking-esting, but why did she...you know... did ... that?" Grimmjow asked with disgust.

"Well, those visions are supposed to be quite vivid and real. I don't and can't know what she saw but it must have been something really bad. When I used it last time, at the Las Noches, the guy plucked out his own eyes and crushed his own skull with his bare hands." Ichigo replied, covering his mouth when he remembered that particular scene.

Nel wasn't faring better and swallowed heavily.

"I can control the flames somewhat so I won't let them touch you, but even if they did, I don't think the effects would be so severe. It works mostly on bad guys who's souls are extremely tainted with darkness, pure beings shouldn't be affected..." Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow.

"...but on some of you it could actually be quite bad." He finished.

"Oi!" Grimmjow looked at him, deciding if he should have taken that last comment as an insult or a compliment.

"But you didn't have that power previously?" Harribel asked confused.

Ichigo grimaced and scratched his head.

"Yeah well, it was like this..."

* * *

_Soul Society (Captain's meeting – 1st Division Barracks)_

"What is your report, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Captain Commander asked tiredly.

After the shocking news that Aizen Sosuke managed to escape, Captain of all squads were on high alert, trying to find some clue about the traitor's new whereabouts but without any luck.

Captain of the 12th Division came forward with a grim expression.

"I have little to none new information about this matter. As we all know, Muken serves as a sub-dimension of the Soul Society and was created even before your birth, Captain Commander, so there are almost no data concerning it. Until this day, we, the Gotei 13, used this place for punishing the worst criminals in history of Soul Society. Not one of them ever saw the light of the day after they got sentenced into that place. There is also almost no way of monitoring the area, we can only monitor the criminals. That way we found out about Aizen Sosuke's getaway, since the device just stopped working all of a sudden. It's almost as if that person vanished into thin air. We cannot be even sure if he's alive at this point."

Yamamoto listened to him warily.

"Is that all?"

Mayuri looked insulted for a moment but managed to mask it with a cough.

"Of course not. We determined that moments before his disappearance, Aizen Sosuke came into contact with another person."

After that statement, a shocked murmur appeared among Captains.

"What are you talking about, Captain Mayuri, it should be impossible for anyone to enter Muken other was than through the 1st Division compound." Kyoraku objected.

"Yes, I am aware of that, Captain Kyoraku." Mayuri sneered at him and looked at his papers.

"That unknown person is also peculiar in a sense that he, or she, somehow possessed more than one reiatsu signature. One signature was completely unfamiliar to us but the second one..." He turned to Yamamoto and stared at him with a strange expression, as if trying to accuse him of something mixed with a bit of fear.

"The second one is very much similar to the reiatsu signature that could have been felt all across the Seiretei almost 1000 years ago."

...

Most of the Captains looked at each other in confusion, but their eyes widened when a weak sound of something hitting the floor was heard.

The cane that Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 always had with him, the cane that masked his zanpaktou fell on the floor and the Commander itself visibly shook.

"Yama-ji?" Kyoraku momentarily forgot about honorifics and looked at his teacher in surprise.

"Impossible..." Yamamoto gasped and clenched his fist.

"What's going on?" Sui-Feng asked with her eyes firmly set on the Captain Commander.

Said shinigami gulped and grabbed his cane back.

"From now on, the escape of Aizen Sosuke and the existence of that unknown person shall be treated as a top secret information. All Captains, not even your Lieutenants can know about this for now. Captain Sui-Feng, what are the whereabouts of Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"What?!" Most of the Captain looked at him in a shock.

'Well, I wouldn't tell that to Momo either way...' Toshiro thought immediately, but he was too baffled with the sudden interest about the whereabouts of Ichigo.

"I-I heard that the group of Arrancars that he helped after Aizen's defeat were being attacked by someone so he rushed to Hueco Mundo to help them. That was few days ago and he's yet to come back." Sui-Feng quickly replied.

"Goddamnit that foolish boy!" Yamamoto cursed, surprising the rest of the Captains further.

"What's with the interest with the Ichi-chan?" Gin asked quietly, for once not sneering or smiling. In fact, the news about Aizen's escape hit him hard and he was trying to hold himself from going berserk.

"Captain Sui-Feng, how far have you come with the research about Kurosaki Ichigo's roots? I assume not very far." Captain Commander ignored the question and focused on the Captain of the 2nd Squad who started to sweat as she felt the intense pressure on her shoulders.

"Yes, uhm, I managed to find out that his two sisters are both spiritually aware, one posses weak reiatsu while the other one's reiatsu is quite strong for a human. Not on Kurosaki Ichigo's level but it's still very interesting. I couldn't find out anything about his father, it's almost as if he's been hiding. I only found out two things. First one is his name, Kurosaki Isshin and the second one is that he shares some connection or friendship with the last known Quincy, Ishida Ryuuken."

Yamamoto's eyes widened further.

'Isshin... can it be? Ishida Ryuuken? No... this can't be all a coincidence can it? If Kurosaki Ichigo is his son and... ' His eyes almost bulged out.

"Goddamnit that foolish boy twice!" He cursed loudly again.

"What is it?" Ukitake asked nervously. He never saw his old mentor curse. That must have meant, things were extremely serious.

"I have a theory concerning the Kurosaki boy and if I'm right, the boy is even more important person that we thought he is... on a whole another scale. All Captains, make preparation. We need to retrieve the boy as soon as we can..."

He gripped his cane and gritted his teeth.

"... I'll notify the Zero Squad."

* * *

_Hueco Mundo (Deep in the Menos Forest)_

"So you managed to come this far, huh?" A creepy voice taunted them.

'Fuck this...' Nel, Grimmjow, Harribel and Ichigo cursed mentally when they looked around.

After their little rest, they further followed the path, trying to finally reach the enemy camp.

They have reached it all right.

But the enemy was prepared and was awaiting them.

"I told you something was fishy about this..." Ichigo muttered to Harribel.

"Who knew that he would have a small army prepared for us." She replied with a hint of fear in her voice.

At the moment, things weren't looking good for the quartet.

They were being surrounded again.

But this time...

... their opponents were ten Vasto Lorde, which combined reiatsu made Harribel sweat quite a lot.

"What do we do? We didn't consider the possibility of them having this much Vasto Lorde." Nel asked worriedly.

"We fight, we have no other choice." Grimmjow stated with a small bead of sweat falling from his forehead.

Ichigo gritted his teeth.

'I was right, Grimmjow obtained that information too easily. It was a trap all along, but what the question is why...'

"I hate to agree with him, but Grimmjow is right. We have no other choice but fight them. If you three can take on six of them, I can try to fight the remaining four myself." Ichigo whispered.

"What? Are you insane? Even Aizen would have trouble with four of them and as you said, you can't even use your bankai!" Nel protested vigorously.

"I agree with Nel, that's a suicide... take three, if we all release our Resurrección from the beginning, maybe we can take them by surprise and somehow take seven of them." Harribel nodded at Nel.

"Fine, we won't know until we'll try, right?" Ichigo snapped and stood straight.

"Oh? Not scared?" A tall Vasto Lorde asked.

They only frowned and raised their swords.

"Set the darkness ablaze, Zangetsu!"

"Grind, Pantera!"

"Declare, Gamuza!"

"Destroy, Tiburón!"

As the four of them released their power, the sudden surge of reiatsu cleared the area from the sand, surprising the Vasto Lorde with the amount of it.

But the quartet widened their eyes, when another person suddenly appeared behind the Vasto Lorde, releasing even bigger amount of reiatsu then all of them combined, forcing all of them, save for Ichigo, who however had to lower himself a bit too, on their knees from the sheer raw power.

'The fuck is that, it feels like Aizen after few of his transformations, but yet it's different... chaotic, almost as if the reiatsu alone emitted an emotion... pain.' Ichigo thought in shock.

"Ah... you have quite the nice reiatsu, especially you... Kurosaki Ichigo... I have been expecting you."

Ichigo widened his eyes at the sudden realisation.

"You are the Master, aren't you?"

Said person came forward, further shocking them with his appearance.

'It's just like Kurosaki's mask!' Harribel thought alarmed.

'What is going on?' Ichigo gripped his zanpaktou.

"Who are you!" He yelled.

The Master came even closer, further showing his shockingly similar appearance to Ichigo's Resurrección.

He chuckled.

"Hmm...who am I? That's an interesting question, young one. I don't have a name. Even if I did in my past, after so many millenia I don't remember it... "

He leveled his gaze with Ichigo.

"... but since I am the first hollow that came into existence, you can call me... The Ancient."

End of Chapter 10.

**I don't have anything written from the next chapter, but it'll be called Chapter 11 - Hueco Mundo pt.4 (The Ancient).**


	11. Chapter 11: Hueco Mundo part 4

**Thank you all for your reviews.  
I don't think I can really say anything to them, since most of the questions are answered in this chapter.  
**

**Finally, some background from the Bleach-verse! **

**This chapter is in the end over 10k words... the second longest so far after the Chapter 1 and with it we're at the end of the Hueco Mundo arc.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11 – Hueco Mundo pt. 4 (The Ancient)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

Many things ran through the mind of the shinigami representative, Kurosaki Ichigo, while staring at the enemy, threateningly standing only few steps away from him.

_'Did he say first hollow ever?'_

_'How old is he?'_

_'Why does he look like that... so similar to my Resurrección?'_

_'Why did he want to meet me?'_

_'Why isn't he attacking?'_

_'What's with his reiatsu?'_

_'...did he say first hollow ever?'_

Ichigo wanted to ask so much but felt that his tongue was too heavy to form any question. From the short moment he was able to assess the enemy he was sure, that without his bankai, he was outclassed.

He wasn't scared nor did he panick.

He was just trying to keep his cool and analyze the situation properly, like Urahara taught him so long ago.

"Ah... you are probably wondering what is going on here, right?" The Ancient casually walked around him in circles, watching him carefully.

Answer he received was a short nod.

It took him few more moments before speaking again, mumbling incoherently the whole time.

"Hmm, you're making me sad, Kurosaki Ichigo. I was awaiting you at your full power but yet it seems you have not unlocked your every potential so far... I'm so disappointed... " Surprisingly, the old hollow truly showed some kind of sadness behind his mask.

Meanwhile, Ichigo noticed two small details.

First one was the fact, that the Ancient was missing a small part of his mask. Truly a tiny piece was chipped above his right eye.

Second one was more of a large detail than a small one. It was a truly horrific scar that ran from his left shoulder all the way diagonally to his right hip.

It was the second thing that intrigued the substitute shinigami more.

_'The fact that he's the first hollow ever, and his reiatsu makes him truly a monster... I don't think I want to meet the one who gave him that scar.'_

The Ancient noticed Ichigo's curious gaze and grinned in amusement which resulted in a frightening grimace.

"I see that you're wondering about my scar... and if I had to guess, what you're thinking right now is: 'Wow, I don't want to fight the one who did it, or something along this line." He chuckled when Ichigo's eyes widened a little bit.

"Well, you'll be surprised to know that you have already met him."

_'What?'_ Ichigo thought.

The Ancient ran with his clawed finger along his scar.

"This is the only injury I ever received that threatened to take my life, and it was done one thousand years ago by none other than Genryuusai Yamamoto, the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13... he did it to me with his bankai."

A shiver ran through Ichigo's body.

_'Old man in bankai did this... damn he must have been...wait, thousand years ago?'_

"What happened one thousand years ago?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

"Heh, you got over that surprise rather quickly." The Ancient chuckled darkly and without any announcement, he spun around and flashed to Ichigo with his claws raised, trying to slash at him with them.

Ichigo barely had the time to spare but with luck he managed to block the attack, although the raw strength of it sent him flying backwards.

After few flips, he landed on the ground, this time prepared for a strike, but the Ancient just stood there, grinning wildly.

"Good, if you couldn't block that, I would be just wasting my time."

Ichigo, startled by that statement noticed, that no-one else moved since the Ancient showed himself.

_'Must be frozen in fear.'_

The Ancient slowly walked away and sat on the throne made completely of bones, that suddenly rose from the ground.

"If you want to know more... about what happened one thousand years ago and how it's connected with you... or about the hidden potential that resides in you... or about anything else... well, you have to defeat my subordinates first." He chuckled again, nodding to the Vasto Lorde around them to initiate attack.

_'Damn.'_ Ichigo cursed and as fast as he could, he flashed to his companions and in quick succession, he blocked, threw or kicked away four Vasto Lorde that he wanted to take on.

* * *

Through the exchange between Ichigo and The Ancient, Nel kept looking at Harribel, trying to find in her face anything that could ease her worries.

Sadly, Harribel herself was in a small shock, something which was completely uncharacteristic of her.

Grimmjow however, probably for the first time in his life, felt fear.

He was blood-thirsty, but even he understood the situation. If the Ancient decided to dispose of them, not even Kurosaki Ichigo could save them. With that in mind, he switched his focus and concentrated his instincts on the Vasto Lorde surrounding them.

_'Fuck it. I wanted to fight but this is bad. I'll have to go all out if I want to win... but after that I'll be an easy lunch for the Ancient fucker... grrr, fuck Grimmjow, get your act together, you're the King!'_

Swallowing his pride, he turned to Harribel and Nel and motioned them to listen to him.

"Listen you two. Even I understand the situation and I think... that we need to work together or we are dead fucking meat." He whispered and grimaced when they widened their eyes.

"But if either of you mention to Kurosaki that I proposed this idea first, I'll kick your asses, understood?"

"Sure, but what can we do? If that old one decided to fight Ichigo, then I'm not sure we can take on ten Vasto Lorde ourselves." Nel said quietly.

They were interrupted when Ichigo was suddenly blasted in the air.

_'Shit, I couldn't even see the attack.' Grimmjow thought bitterly._

After the statement from the Ancient, Harribel turned to them.

"Well, you heard it, it seems that the Ancient is interested in Kurosaki, that means that we can fight those Vasto Lorde with Kurosaki's help and after that we can breathe easier... but even as I'm saying it, I'm doubtful."

Nel and Grimmjow nodded and took their defensive stances when Ichigo blocked the four of Vasto Lorde, taking them away from the trio.

* * *

_'Damn it Kurosaki, I told you to take three only. If the Ancient wants to fight you after this, you'll be dead in no time.'_ Harribel thought in irritation as she had to quickly focus on the fight, when a slash was aimed at her head.

She parried it with her Tiburón, jumping above the attacker.

"Trident!" She exclaimed, shooting high-pressured water, infused with her reiryoku at the Vasto Lorde below her.

Cursing under her breath when another hollow jumped and blocked the attack, she landed in front of her two opponents.

"Hey, we got the cold-ass bitch."

"Good, we can take our time to melt that attitude." Both of the Vasto Lorde chuckled, staring at Harribel with lecherous eyes.

"My name is-"

"La Gota!" Harribel interrupted them with another attack, successfully injuring the taller of the Vasto Lorde.

"I don't need to know the names of the trash like you." Harribel stated, unconsciously imitating Ulquiorra's attitude.

"Gah! Bitch cut off my arm!" Wounded hollow whined in pain.

_'Shit!'_ Harribel cursed when the second Vasto Lorde wasn't in front of her anymore and she instinctively moved.

She gritted her teeth when blood spurted from her left shoulder.

"Don't take your eyes off us, Arrancar." Second Vasto Lorde mocked her from behind her.

Harribel focused and send some of her reiryoku to the wound, at least stopping the blood.

_'It seems that this will be tough. Even if they are Vasto Lorde, they shouldn't have been this strong. As I suspected with those Adjuchas, the Ancient must have somehow raised their strength.'_

* * *

"Garra de la Pantera!"

Four acutely shaped bombs were fired from Grimmjow's elbow, trying to hit his opponents.

The blue-haired Arrancar was forced to bring out the heavy artillery early in his fight, after being outsmarted and after that enraged, when he got slashed across his back.

He was distracted by the magnitude of Harribel's attacks and lost sight of his opponents for a moment, which costed him.

After the explosions cleared, his grin returned although in weakened state, as the enemy was wounded just not as bad as he hoped.

Both sides pissed off, they flashed across the land, meeting in the centre, exchanging punches and kicks and occasional slashes.

Grimmjow was having a hard time.

His fighting style was unpredictable, what was one of the things that kept him on equal grounds with the enemy hollows.

But other than that, Grimmjow was bitterly aware, that from the four of them that came here, he was the weakest member.

His blows were having only little effect on the Vasto Lorde, grazing them, cutting them, breaking small bones but other than that, no serious injury.

On the other hand, enemy's claws were giving them an edge. They were long enough and sharp enough to warrant Grimmjow's attention and he had to avoid them every time, or they would cut through his Hierro.

They weren't creating heavy injuries, but eventually, he would bled out even from the simple deep scratches or cuts.

Spinning in the air and hitting one of the hollows with his reiryoku empowered kick, he allowed himself a deep breath.

"Gaaaaaarh!" He roared point-blank at the second Vasto Lorde, sending him flying with the produced shockwave.

He quickly send his reiryoku to the deeper cuts, stopping the bleeding.

_'Fuck they're tough. I'm loosing energy fast.'_ Grimmjow cursed under his breath and flashed to his opponents, intending on not giving them any room to breathe.

* * *

_'So they want to fight in close range and to aim at my weak-spots.'_ Nel thought as she kicked her foes with surprising speed, giving herself some space.

"Disparo Verde!" She aimed her lance at them, shooting several bright high-speed projectiles from it.

Wanting to finish the job quickly, she sent the second attack moments after that.

"Lanzador Verde!" Her lance swished through the air, gathering more energy and spin as it cut the distance between her and the Vasto Lorde, hitting the area where they were recovering, dead on.

Using her reiryoku, she called the lance back to her hands and waited.

Her eyes widened when something bursted from the smoke and she blocked the incoming attack.

The Vasto Lorde that attacked her, was mildly burned and missing some chunks of his body around the stomach area, but it was slowly healing.

_'High-speed regeneration?'_ She thought but the small chuckle that escaped from her opponent mouth unnerved her.

That saved her from serious injuries as the one in front of her suddenly ducked and she came face to face with a bright blue Cero, coming from the smoke.

She managed to open her mouth and to swallow it just in time.

"Cero Doble!" She sent it back to its originator, but the Vasto Lorde that was close to her wasn't just standing too and without any chance to block, only slightly side-stepping it, she received a triple cut to her side.

"Gah!" She gasped from the pain and jumped backwards immediately.

The hollow that wounded her licked his claws, tasting her blood.

He savoured the taste and grinned at her maliciously.

_'Why do I always get the creepy ones.'_ Nel thought in irritation as she readied her lance for another attack.

* * *

Ichigo was narrowly watching his opponents, utilizing his concentration to the utmost levels. Facing four Vasto Lorde was giving him no other option. With every muscle in his being strained in stress, he reacted quickly when the smallest of them suddenly flashed to him, flaring his dark flames and trying to scare the hollow away.

With his instincts screaming at him, he bent over, dodging the claws of the second attacker, slashing at his right and cutting the third Vasto Lorde.

He stumbled however, when the fourth opponent successfully kicked him in the stomach, catching him off guard.

_'Damn, Harribel was right, four of them is too much.'_

His thoughts were interrupted when a vague cry cut through the air, courtesy of the hollow who touched his flames.

Ichigo glanced at him, noticing him panting heavily on the ground and realized that this was the opportunity he needed. With one of his enemies out of the combat for a while, maybe he could do some damage.

With that in mind, he flashed as fast as he could to the one who previously kicked him, his zanpaktou high in the air, glowing with energy.

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Crescent wave caught the hollow off guard and sent him flying to the distance.

Instinctively, Ichigo immediately ducked, when he heard something flying at him and narrowly escaping a bright green Cero.

_'Cero huh? Let me show you mine.'_

He raised and pointed his finger at the Vasto Lorde and gathered great amount of hollow reiryoku in it.

"Ce-ro." He stumbled in the middle of releasing it, when the hollow he forgot about grazed his shoulder with his claws.

_'Damn.'_ Ichigo cursed.

With luck on his side however, he observed the trajectory of his Cero, that hit the mark either way.

The victim was however not the one he aimed at, but the one who was still panting on the ground, after coming into contact with Ichigo's flames.

Just before the Cero hit him, the hollow raised his head and couldn't do anything besides widening his eyes in horror.

He was engulfed in grand explosion, obscuring his being from sight.

Getting over his surprise quickly, the remaining two Vasto Lorde attacked Ichigo, simultaneously slashing at his face and torso.

Blocking the attacks with Zangetsu, Ichigo was blown away when something collided with him.

"Ba...bala!" The Vasto Lorde that Ichigo sent flying with his Getsuga came from the forest, heavily bleeding from the deep gash in his chest.

Ichigo wasn't holding back and the Getsuga he used, was easily the double strength he used the last time.

"Damn you, shinigami." The injured hollow cursed and fell on the ground, unconscious, but not dead yet.

_'Shit. I thought he was done for.'_ Ichigo thought bitterly when he got up.

His robe got slightly tattered and he was bleeding slightly from the cut on his head.

"Angetsu no Ka!" He yelled and sent a wave of dark flames at his opponents, giving himself a little room to breathe.

Glancing at his left, he was that the hollow that was struck with his Cero was slowly getting up, covered in horrible burns that were slowly healing.

_'Come on! Can't he stay down?'_

He flashed to him, wanting to get rid of some of his opponents.

When he started to gather reiryoku into his blade for another Getsuga, he remembered the short training he underwent in Seiretei, the face of Hacchigen jumping to his mind.

Letting him sword fall next to him, he punched the hollow, sending him to the ground once again and aimed his finger at him.

Tha Vasto Lorde, seeing the stance, thought of another Cero coming at him and surrendered to the fate as he was sure that he couldn't survive another and he was too injured to be able to dodge it.

Noticing that, Ichigo frowned. He never liked the kind of people who wouldn't fight their fate.

_'Well, what can you do.'_ He thought and gathered the needed reiryoku to the point of his finger.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!" Blue stream of electricity shot out of his finger aiming at the hollow's shoulder, but in the end, the Vasto Lorde tried to dodge it in reflex and ended with the Hadō piercing his head, killing him instantly.

Ichigo grimaced in disgust when blood splashed behind the hollow gruesomely and he had to turn away.

And he did it just in time as the two Vasto Lorde finally sprung into action, after having to dodge his Angetsu no Ka.

Ichigo stood still and when they were close enough, again he raised only his finger and pointed at them, ushering two Kido's in quick succsesion.

"Hadō #1: Shō!"

"Bakudō #1: Sai!"

Not expecting Kido, the first hollow was blasted back with force as Ichigo put too much of his reiryoku into the attack, while the second one got his hands twisted behind his back and cried in pain.

Ichigo grasped his zanpaktou and in an instant he gathered energy into the blade, powering up a Getsuga.

However, instead of releasing it, he let the powered up sword cut through the binded hollow, bifurcating him and only after that, he released the gathered energy.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

The slightly weaker Getsuga was reflected with the claws of the hollow that was previously blasted with Sho, instead hitting the unconscious Vasto Lorde, finally killing him.

Ichigo raised one eyebrow.

_'Either I'm a lucky son of a..., or they absolutely don't care for what happens to their comrades.'_

Seeing that the last Vasto Lorde sped to him, he allowed himself a deep breath and waited for him to attack.

For the next few moments, he decided only to dodge the strikes, looking for an opening in the defense.

The hollow was quickly getting angry, which led to his demise.

In one of his slashes, he put too much force into it and when Ichigo dodge it, it left him defenseless against attacks, what Ichigo noticed and quickly poured his hollow reiryoku into his hands.

"Bala!" He shouted and sent two shots of energy towards the hollow, who could only look as his body was blasted away, since his energy was almost wasted, leaving his Hierro drastically weakened.

Ichigo wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and looked around to see how his companions were doing.

* * *

_'Fuck these two, I guess there's no other choice but use that.'_ Grimmjow gritted his teeth and held his shoulder, which was heavily bleeding from the numerous injuries.

His two opponents weren't faring so much better and they spurted some heavy wound too, the second one spitting blood on the ground.

Thanks to his unpredictability, Grimmjow managed to hold his own against them, getting few lucky shots with his Garra de le Pantera, dealing fair amount of damage.

Since that moment however, the duo in front of him started to cooperate, slowly gaining advantage, leaving Grimmjow now with no other choice.

"Listen here you fuckers, I'm gonna show it to you only once, so watch carefully and try not to die instantly." He grinned painfully and raised the hand, he was previously clutching his shoulder with.

_'Yeah, that should do it.'_ He thought when he saw the amount of blood on his palm and gathered his reiryoku.

Aiming the palm at this opponents who widened their eyes in realization, he yelled.

"Gran Rey Cero!" Thick torrent of blue energy escaped his hand, hitting the Vasto Lorde instantly and generated a huge explosion.

The air around him was still cracking from the amount of the energy used as he collapsed on the ground, absolutely exhausted.

_'Fuck, I hope the faggots are dead... or I'll be the one dead soon.'_

From the ground he glanced at the place where the blast started and sighed in satisfaction.

His opponents were charred from explosion, their eyes rolled back in their heads, dead and already disappearing.

Grimmjow tried to stand but he was too tired, so instead he lied down, trying to catch his breath.

_'Well, either you'll do some miracle, or we're fucked, Kurosaki.'_

* * *

"Cascada!"

Harribel watched as her attack halted the progress of the duo that tried to attack her together.

As the water subsided, it was obvious who would win the fight.

Harribel was spurting numerous cuts and gashes, but was nowhere near inured as Grimmjow was.

On the other hand, her opponents were breathing heavily, raising from the ground again, but very slowly.

_'It is quite odd. At the beginning, they were very strong, stronger than they should have been, but that power is slowly decreasing as the time passes... what did he do to them?'_ She wondered absent-mindedly as her mind wandered towards the Ancient.

A huge explosion woke her from her musings and she glanced at her left to see the remnants of bluish trail of energy, coming from Grimmjow's position.

She raised her eyebrow.

_'Well, for the first time I have to admit that it isn't that much of a bad idea, Grimmjow.'_

Touching her stomach, where she had the deepest gash, she smeared her palm with her own blood and gathered the needed energy.

"Gran Rey Cero!" She exclaimed and sent a golden torrent of energy at the helpless Vasto Lorde, who only sighed in defeat moment before the Cero hit them, killing them quickly.

She almost smirked when the produced explosion was almost twice as big as Grimmjow's.

With a deep breath she turned around.

* * *

Nel was the last one who thought of the Gran Rey Cero and she hurried to do the same.

She was faring better than Grimmjow, but she was more wounded than Harribel and wanted to do nothing else than to finish her fight as her opponents creeped her out.

Faster than the Vasto Lorde could notice, she gathered some blood on her hand and poured her reiryoku in it, releasing her own version of the ultimate Cero, green in color.

Breathing quickly and heavily, as the action tired her out, she sadly observed the end of her enemies.

They indeed creeped her out, yet they were still living beings. Sighing, she raised her head and headed to Ichigo's position.

* * *

A huge burden fell from Ichigo's heart as he found out, that despite their injuries, his companions seemed to be just fine. Just as he wanted to flash to them, deep voice interrupted him.

"Bravo. I almost thought that four of them were too much for you, Kurosaki Ichigo." The Ancient finally made himself known again.

Ichigo reacted instantly and twisted himself around in anticipation of a sudden attack.

The Ancient only chuckled.

"My, my, you're quite jumpy, aren't you, young one? But fear not as you have a little time before you'll need those reflexes in a combat again. For now... "

Ichigo gritted his teeth when suddenly a massive amount of reiatsu hit him, making him sweat bullets and pinning the rest of his comrades to the ground, preventing them from getting close to him.

"... let's talk."

...

"What?" Ichigo looked at him in confusion as soon as the pressure disappeared.

The Ancient grinned slightly at him.

"I promised that after you defeated my subordinates, I'd explain some things to you and I'll keep my word. You are, however free to try and attack me in the meantime." He finished with a sinister grimace, making Ichigo gulp.

Instead of attacking, he sat on the ground, having no other choice.

_'I'm not stupid to take the bait... if we can get out of here without having to fight him... I'd be a lot happier.'_

"Good, good." The old hollow clapped his hands.

"Do pardon me however. I said that I'd explain things to you, but it cannot be done without a story. So make yourself comfortable as you'll need to hear me out. Oh... but the names in the following story are completely fictional, as my memory grew old." He grinned again but after that his face under the mask grew serious.

"Let me start with what happened many thousands of years before today... with something that changed this very world..."

...

_Flashback - Many thousands years ago_

_"Elsie, love, wheeere aaare youuuu?" Michael sang happily as he jogged towards his home in anticipation of next two free days spent with his only love._

_"I'm here sweety." A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties emerged from the small hut, lovingly caressing her inflated pregnant belly._

_Michael quickly jumped towards her and put her ear on her navel._

_"Don't tell me he has been kicking again and I missed it. Oh, the ungrateful heavens!" He exclaimed dramatically as Elsie chuckled and smiled at him._

_"You dummy, it isn't such a big deal. After he's born you'll be able to hear him as much as you can."_

_Michael looked at her horrified._

_"Blasphemy! What if he's trying to tell me something and I wasn't there to hear him!"_

_His wife just chuckled again and kissed him on the forehead._

_"You worry too much, honey. Come inside, I made your favourite soup."_

_Michael's eyes glowed with excitement._

_"Oh goody! These past two weeks were horrendous. There was nothing else than meat and meat and even more meat." He whined and slowly walked into the hut, where the two of them ate their lunch._

_Michael and Elsie were happily married couple, living in the middle of nowhere, a long distance from any civilization, not that there were many civilized people in that era._

_They were practically a farmers, living from what they grew or what Michael could hunt down in the nearby woods. _

_Michael originally grew up in a small village where he was taught the basic things needed for survival, like hunting wild animals, building a hut for himself or how to find a fresh drinking water. He was however not satisfied with the small area that the village was._

_His instincts were telling him to abandon this kind of living, to go and explore the wide world... the unknown land._

_At the age of fifteen he finally decided and snucked from the settlement, leaving only small note for his parents, who never really took care of him anyway and preferred for him to survive on his own._

_For the next few years, he wandered through the vast lands, trying many barbaric or peaceful jobs, eventually landing in an unexplored area, where he met Elsie._

_She was like a gift from gods to him and he fell in love with her on the first sight._

_At first, she was scared of him as his appearance wasn't very sympathetic and he kept his beard untrimmed for many months._

_After he showed her no ill intentions and she got to know him better, she accepted his company._

_During many following weeks, even months, Michael showed her how to live better, richer and more than anything, how to be not alone._

_It didn't take long before she fell in love with him too. At the beginning, he suspected that there was something from her past that prevented her from being caring towards him, or preventing her from loving him, but eventually her resistance broke._

_Ever since the day that Elsie admitted her love to him, they were living on a cloud of happiness, that grew even bigger after she announced, that she was carrying his child._

_That day, for the first time in his life, Michael cried from pure happiness._

_Now, Elsie was already in her last month of pregnancy and they were expecting her to give birth to the baby every day, which was the reason for Michael's departure for two weeks._

_It was so that he could gather as much stock as possible, leaving them with enough material so that he wouldn't be forced to abandon his newborn child for at least few weeks._

_He had so many plans for his child. It didn't matter if it was a daughter or a son. He would spend as much time with them as he could, unlike his parents._

_He would show them unconditional love, he would support them, play with them and teach them everything he knew._

_However, the day he returned from his two-week departure, everything went downhill for them._

_"So, honey, what do you want to do?" He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively, making her blush._

_"Oh, stop it, you. I told you we can't risk having sex until the baby's born." She hushed him in embarrassment and went out to drink from the well._

_Michael lied on the bed content when he suddenly felt weird, as if he was in presence of something unnatural. His head started to spin, his breathing getting heavy._

_It lasted only a few moments but when Elsie came inside, he knew he wasn't imagining things._

_His wife was completely drained from color, her once tanned skin almost white and her face showed horror._

_"S-sweety? What's wrong?" Michael jumped from the bed, trying not to sway on his feet._

_His voice seemed to shook Elsie as she looked at him scared._

_"He found me... he found me, he found me..." She was mumbling in fear and when Michael tried to hug her, she backed away from him._

_"Elsie?" He asked uncertain of her behaviour._

_"I... I need to lie down." She said and after a second she let him to guide her towards the bed where they spent the night, neither of them getting any sleep._

_From that day onward, Elsie seemed constantly scared of something, looking around with fear in her eyes._

_Nothing Michael did could penetrate her defensive walls._

_'It's just like we first met, but stronger.' He thought sadly._

_He wanted to help her, desperately so, but she wouldn't let him._

_When he tried to cheer her up with the thought of the child, she smiled for a second but then it morphed into horrified grimace and she started to cry uncontrollably._

_He never mentioned the baby again. Not until it was born._

_Elsie gave birth almost three full weeks after the incident._

_That moment managed to cheer her up only for a few days but after that, she fell into depression again._

_As the week passed by, their stock of material grew thin and Michael eventually had to leave for a few days to gather them again._

_Reluctantly, he departed, praying to God that he would keep his wife and his newborn son safe._

_He returned three day later._

_That day, he forsake every God known to him._

_That day, feeling dread and hearing only the wind, he walked into his hut._

_That day..._

_... he found his wife's and his newborn child's lifeless bodies on the bloodied floor, laying there unmoving, with their eyes open._

_That day, he fell on his knees and cried, cried, cried until his body was drained from fluids and his eyes couldn't produce tears anymore._

_That day, he felt uncontrollable anger, an animal rage that was built into the core of his very being._

_That day, he looked down and found a hand sticking from his chest._

_That day, he spit blood on the floor but managed to turn around to see a silhouette of a man with short silver hair materialize from thin air._

_"This was the last day you hid my wife from me, human." Was the only thing he heard, before the world in front of his eyes disappeared._

_..._

_The Present_

Ichigo was listening to the story with wide eyes, trying to understand but failing miserably.

"I don't understand. It is a sad story all right, but how...?"

The Ancient shook his head.

"I'll explain. The man, Michael in this story, was me."

Ichigo gaped at him in shock.

"Then..."

The first hollow ever sighed.

"I learned many things on that day and onward. The man that killed me, was the original husband of Elsie. The two of them were both from the spiritual world, from the Afterlife. Both of them were souls, first souls that showed signs of spiritual energy. Tremendous amounts of spiritual energy at that. They were a couple long time before I met Elsie and lived a happy life, creating a pleasant afterlife for every soul that flew to their world." He stopped and closed his eyes tiredly.

"But then, I don't know when or what, something happened and Elsie ran away from him. Using her spiritual powers, she crossed to the World of the Living and took over dying body of a young girl, who was terminally ill. She sent the soul to the Afterlife but took her body as her own, healing it quickly. After some time I met her and the rest is known. Her husband was looking for her everywhere since that day, but she was adapt at hiding her spiritual energy, so it took him years to find her. That was the day she changed. I found out that he appeared in front of her and gave her some time to give birth as he wouldn't take a life of an unborn, and to say goodbye to me. When she gave birth, he waited until I departed and killed their bodies, taking their souls away to the Afterlife with him. He wasn't completely satisfied however, and feeling that a human would take his wife, in rage he waited for me and killed me. That... was a mistake." He went silent for a moment to gather his words.

Meanwhile Ichigo's mind was in overdrive, trying to make heads and tails from everything.

After a minute, the Ancient continued.

"It seems that being around Elsie affected my very soul, giving me the ability to possess some spiritual energy on my own and when I died, all of it emerged from my body. Until that day, humans were dying every day but no hollow existed. When the remaining energy emerged from me, the pain I felt in my heart tore it to pieces, drawing the energy back and creating a hollow mask, thus, creating the first hollow. The process, however created a spiritual shockwave that resonated through the World of the Living, changing the souls of human beings forever, allowing them to linger on their feelings even after death. That way, a human being, after death held two options. To die and stay a plus Soul, or to die with lingering feelings and transform into a hollow." His reiatsu flared for a while, making Ichigo sweat even more.

_'That's...'_ Ichigo was at loss of words.

"Naturally, I was devastated, but I couldn't just roam the World of the Living, nor could I have been allowed to the Afterlife. So that man, using his immense spiritual powers, created a whole another dimension for us, hollows, the Hueco Mundo... well, created... he took the vast, cursed sands of the Ancient Egypt and used them to create this ... nothingness. Why do you think that Moses could hear the God when he traveled the desert? Because it overlaps with Hueco Mundo... it's more complicated than that, but I'll leave it on your imagination to make a connection... I wanted to see my wife and my son again, but I couldn't do a thing. Later, I found out that they took care of my son, leaving him to live as he wanted. Not long after that, Elsie had another child, Osiris, whom you nowadays know as the Soul King. From his early age he blessed the beings, known as Shinigami, who were created after the souls in Afterlife were exposed to the spiritual energy of the Soul King's parents, and that way, Noble clans came to existence."

"S-soul King?" Ichigo asked baffled.

"Yes, the throne that ruled the Afterlife was left to the second child not to my son!" The Ancient flared his reiatsu again.

"Why are you telling me this?" Ichigo asked, trying not to get floored with the pressure.

The Ancient suddenly grinned.

"Why? It's simple, but I'll get to that... but as I was saying, the Soul King got to rule the Afterlife, which didn't bode that well with my son. Eventually, more than a thousand years ago, he finally somehow learned the truth and he found me. I told him my story, trying to convince him that he is the one who should be ruling the Afterlife as the elder sibling. It turned out he didn't need any convincing. He was already aiming at the throne. So, a thousand years ago, with my help, he attacked the Afterlife, in that time already known as the Soul Society. It was the only way, since the Soul King resided in his own dimension, not allowing even his sibling to see him." He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"We, however encountered heavy resistance. Soul Society had something that was called Divisions at which lead position stood a devious and exceptionally strong shinigami with the name of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The rest of his followers were too incredibly strong. We managed to push them to their limits, but then something unthinkable happened."

Ichigo raised a sweaty eyebrow in wonder.

"I ... was defeated by that blasted bankai and was forced to Hueco Mundo, leaving my son practically alone. He was powerful... very powerful, but eventually, he was sealed in some dimension or space, where I couldn't touch him..." The Ancient stopped his story and hid his head to the shadows.

Ichigo's mind was full of questions, but he settled for one.

"Let's say I get it, that I understood your story... but I ask again. What does it have to do with me?"

"Because, I want you to join my son and overthrow the Soul King."

...

Ichigo put a finger into his ear, trying to clear it.

"Come again?"

The Ancient chuckled once again.

"I want you... to join the crusade of my son. He will get out from his imprisonment. Help is already on its way... Just as planned."

At his last words, Ichigo froze.

"Wha-what did you just say?"

"Hmm? Just as planned?"

Ichigo gripped the hilt of his zanpaktou.

"Where did you hear that phrase?"

The Ancient stood up from his throne and emerged from the shadow.

"Oh, that?... Well, some shinigami that spent some time in Hueco Mundo taught me." He said nonchalantly.

Ichigo flared his reiatsu as the black flames got hotter.

"How do you know Aizen?!"

The hollow waved his hand provocatively.

"I think you know that... isn't my appearance familiar to you, after all?"

Ichigo's sword suddenly glowed with reiryoku.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

"Answer me!"

The Ancient let the attack hit him, emerging shortly from the swirled dust showing his torso, which was only slightly charred.

"Not good enough... well, do you see this small chip that's missing from my mask?" He asked Ichigo, who was feeling dread.

"What about it?" He asked, pretending ignorance, making the hollow grin.

"Weeell, some time ago... it must have been around twenty years or so, I gave that fragment to Aizen, which he used to create one of his first attempts in making Arrancar... but you already suspected the truth the moment you saw me, didn't you? That the same Arrancar attacked your father and your mother and gave you the hollow you hide inside, am I right?"

...

Anger bubbled inside Ichigo, the angry shouts of Shirosaki only fueling it further.

"What did you just say?"

The Ancient's grin only grew bigger when he felt the heat from Ichigo's dark flames.

_'Good... but he needs another push.'_

"I'm saying that the hollow inside you comes from me. It means that you are my descendant...well, it's quite redundant to say that, since , after all, you are your mother's son."

CLANG!

The shockwave generated when Ichigo's zanpaktou met the sword the Ancient swiftly took from his sheath, pushed everything and everyone fliyng hard.

"How do you know my mother?!" Ichigo asked angrily as he slashed again, generating even bigger shockwave.

"Ah you know... this and that... or don't tell me you thought your mother was a simple human? Or that Urahara Kisuke or even your father never hid anything from you?"

"GETSUGA TENSHŌ!" A massive crescent emerged from Ichigo's blade, sending the Ancient flying a small distance, before he redirected the attack elsewhere.

He looked down when he felt something warm fall on his knee. It was blood.

_'Well would you look at that, he can cut through my Hierro.'_

"EXPLAIN!" He heard Ichigo's yell coming from his left.

"The blood will always show itself, sooner or later you will find out about your roots. How about sooner?"

"CERO!"

The Ancient quickly ducked and flashed to Ichigo, sending him flying with an uppercut to the jaw.

"Don't yell, it makes you look weak. Your mother's death was however, not my, nor Aizen's fault. You should ask the Soul King."

Ichigo, who was slowly getting up, widened his eyes.

"What are you saying?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm saying that it's the Soul King's fault that your mother is dead. I'm saying that your mother is the descendant of my son and I'm saying..." The Ancient dodged a jab.

"... that if you help my son, he can bring your mother back to life."

Ichigo stopped in the middle of his Shunpo and visibly shook.

"Interested?" The Ancient taunted him.

"Don't..." Ichigo whispered.

The Ancient came closer.

"What was that? I don't think I heard you quite right."

Ichigo's hands gripped his sword, drawing blood as he shook further.

"Don't... SCREW WITH ME! ANGETSU NO KA!" Without giving any chance to dodge, Ichigo sent a massive black wave of flames at him.

The Ancient only widened his eyes in surprise, shot one of his arms forward and then he was engulfed in the sudden explosion.

Still shaking in rage, Ichigo raised his head and coughed up blood.

In the last moment before he was hit, the Ancient sent a quick Bala at Ichigo, ripping a chunk of his left side.

Wobbling on his feet from the sudden blood loss, he quickly sent his hollow reiryoku to the wound, feeling immediately better, as the high-speed regeneration slowly healed him.

Glancing at his right hand covered in blood, he remembered something from his past fights and grinned.

Rasing his hand, he poured his hollow energy into it.

"Gran Rey Cero." He muttered and widened his eyes when an incredible torrent of energy ripped through the air, creating shockwaves on its course and tearing the very fabric of Hueco Mundo's space.

He fell on his knee from the sudden energy depletion and only raised his head when the force of the explosion almost threw him away.

"That was dangerous." Ichigo froze when the voice of the Ancient came from his right.

"How... ?" He asked when he glanced at the hollow.

He was quite burned and spurting a deep wound on his torso that crossed the one he got from Yamamoto, creating an X-shaped scar.

"I managed to dodge the direct hit of your Cero and got caught up in the following explosion... regarding your fist attack... my pain is a lot stronger than your darkness and only the heat of your flames can hurt me. Nevertheless, impressive display of damage and you're not even using your bankai. Impressive indeed."

Suddenly the Ancient's face showed irritation.

"Well, I guess we'll have to cut this conversation short. It seems that your... comrades are on their way and even if I'm not that hooked on living, I can't die just yet and this little fight of yours managed to tire me a little. But remember, Kurosaki Ichigo. We will meet again." And with that, he flashed away, leaving Ichigo full of questions and with no one that could answer them.

"FUCK!" He yelled and slashed with his zanpaktou in rage, swirling up the sand with the wind pressure.

When he felt a familiar reiatsu and loud voices, he turned around and seeing the faces speeding up to him, he gripped the hilt of Zangetsu tightly, slightly shaking with anger and prepared for action.

* * *

"So you're telling me that you Kurosaki-san is fighting this... Ancient?" Urahara Kisuke asked Harribel nervously.

Few hours ago, he was contacted by the Captain of the 2nd Squad, Sui-Fēng, who was trying to get into contact with Ichigo on direct orders from the Captain Commander. When she heard that unfortunately, young substitute was in Hueco Mundo, she demanded to be let after him.

Not wanting to let her go alone, Yoruichi joined her and after a small considering, Urahara took off too.

At Las Noches they encountered Nel's Fracción, who quickly introduced themselves, and found out about the counterattack.

From that point, the trio was following reiatsu signatures and after some time, they came across Harribel, Grimmjow and Nel, who were trying to get back to Ichigo after being blown away but were being constantly pushed with strong reiatsu.

"Yes, as I already explained, he was very interested in Kurosaki..." She trailed off, earning confused looks.

"... I don't think that even Kurosaki has a chance against him right now that he can't access his bankai. The reiatsu that old hollow posses is monstrous."

Yoruichi quickly grabbed her shoulders.

"What are you talking about? He can't access bankai?"

"Yes, he explained it to us, but it would take too much time now. Point is, Ichigo has limited power so we should hurry." Nel stated with a hint of worry in her voice.

Sui-Fēng, who was quiet during the whole dialogue raised one of her eyebrows.

_'Weird, I never heard about anyone who would suddenly lose an ability to release his bankai after acquiring it.'_

"I remember that there was something different about Kurosaki-san's reiatsu before he departed to Hueco Mundo, mabye it's connected..." Urahara said as they were flashing through the Menos Forest.

_'Or in the worst case scenario... Kurosaki-san may have discovered something ... unpleasant.'_ He thought with a dread.

* * *

"Oh, there he is... but I don't see the Ancient anywhere... HEEY, ICHIGOOO!" Yoruichi yelled loudly, trying to catch Ichigo's attention as they got close.

"He's alive but not unharmed." She sighed in relief.

Their lifted mood however quickly plummeted when they noticed that Ichigo suddenly flashed towards then with his zanpaktou raised in the air.

"URAHARA! YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo screamed and slashed at the ex-Captain, who only widened his eyes and quickly put up his own zanpaktou to block the incoming strike.

Beads of sweat appeared on his brow as the strength behind the attack proved to be too much and he was blasted in the trees.

"ICHIGO!" Yoruichi yelled, trying to catch him but as she got closer, the black flames surrounding Ichigo flared, preventing her from making any contact.

"Don't touch the flames if you don't want to get... burned." Ichigo muttered darkly without breaking eye contact with the trajectory Urahara flew.

"Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked with wide eyes. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

Sui-Fēng, being the non-sentimental one, reacted quickly and aimed a kick at Ichigo's temples, trying to subdue him.

Ichigo just raised his free arm and poured his reiryoku into it.

"Bakudō #8: Seki." He muttered and Sui-Fēng found herself flying back, wide-eyed.

_'He learned Kido?'_

Not paying any attention to the Captain of the 2nd Squad, Ichigo flashed to Urahara, swinging his zanpaktou horizontally, as if trying to bifurcate him.

Urahara instinctively reacted and blocked the strike, using reiryoku to steady himself so that he wouldn't get blown away, again.

_'Damn he's angry!'_ Urahara gulped and tried to shake him off.

He flashed away and with wide eyes dodged an incoming Byakurai.

_'When...?'_ Putting his questions away, he quickly raised his zanpaktou.

"Awaken, Benihime!" Releasing his Shikai in a burst of reiatsu, he grimaced as he felt a hollow energy coming at him fast, a signal that a Cero was fired.

"Chikasumi no Tate!" He put up his blood-mist shield just in time as Ichigo's Cero hit it, creating small cracks in it.

_'Oh boy, looks like I'll have to take this seriously or I'm dead meat... and nobody wants that.'_

"Nake, Benihime!" Releasing crimson energy blast at Ichigo, he was praying that it would calm Ichigo down.

Ichigo was speeding up to him, when he noticed an incoming attack. With a growl he raised his own zanpaktou.

"Yami no Tsukitate!" Shield of Darkness easily stopped Urahara's shikai ability, earning a surprised look from the scientist.

_'What is this ability, I've never seen Kurosaki-san use this before.'_ He thought along with Yoruichi, who was still trying to understand the situation.

_'Fine Kurosaki-san, seems I'll have to resort to Kido.'_

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō." Urahara yelled a moment before Ichigo swung his blade at him again, stopping him in mid-air.

Immediately, Ichigo growled and began ro raise his reiatsu, making Urahara raise his hands again.

"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!" A yellow energy in a form of a rope surrounded Ichigo's body, binding him tightly.

Urhara sighed in relief a little and looked at trashing Ichigo.

"Now, Kurosaki-san, why don't you explain your actions? What did I do to you that deserved attacking me?" He asked calmly while Yoruichi and Sui-Fēng flashed to him.

With his hair hiding his eyes, Ichigo gritted his teeth.

"... I left it alone when you put Hogyoku in Rukia and sent me and my friends to Soul Society without any kind of warning... I left it alone when you didn't tell me that Dad is a shinigami... I left alone many things that you kept for yourself..."

He flared his reiatsu as much as he could, black flames slowly encompassing Urahara's Kido, corroding it.

Urahara widened his eyes and prepared to do another binding spell when Ichigo continued, interrupting him.

"...but then I find out that you, along with my Dad, were keeping the real reason to my Mum's death to yourself, her identity and who I am and how it's all connected?... Enough!" The Kido suddenly broke, blasting the trio away.

"Kisuke, what is he talking about?" Yoruichi asked tentatively.

Urahara looked down sadly.

"I...we had no other choi-" He didn't have the time to finish as Ichigo came at him once again.

Deciding that he needed Ichigo to calm down, he went on the offensive, trying to drive Ichigo into corner, however this was different from the time he first trained Ichigo and the substitute was more than capable of fending off his slashes and jabs.

Finally snapping out of her surprise, Yoruichi flashed to Ichigo but widened her eyes as he aimed a single finger at her.

"Hadō #1: Shō!" Awaiting a small shove, Yoruichi gulped as her breath was blown away from the force of the Kido.

Sui-Fēng gritted her teeth as her mentor got blasted and she flashed to ichigo from behind, kicking him into his back, sending him flying into trees.

"What's wrong with him!" She yelled at Urahara who just shook his head.

Ichigo slowly got up and poured his reiryoku into his blade.

"But above all, Urahara-san... why didn't you tell me that THE SOUL KING HAD HIS FINGERS IN MY MOTHER'S DEATH?!" He yelled angrily at the shopkeeper, who, along with the others, widened his eyes.

"So you heard about that..." Urahara muttered sadly, angering Ichigo more.

"So you heard about that...SO YOU HEARD ABOUT THAT? WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THAT REACTION?! GETSUGA TENSHŌ!"

Sui-Fēng gulped as she saw a huge crescent-shaped energy flying at them in high speed. She saw first hand during Ichigo's fight with Aizen just what potential damage that attack held.

"Shit!" Urahara cursed and quickly built up his reiatsu.

"Bakudō #81 Dankū! Chikasumi no Tate!" He yelled in quick succession, raising a Kido barrier along with his own zanpaktou shield in front of them, constantly pouring his reiyroku in it, praying that it would hold off Ichigo's attack.

...

Meanwhile, Ichigo fell on his knees, exhausted from his previous battles and from almost all of his reiyroku used to power up his abilities.

He punched the ground in anguish just as an explosion blew sand at him.

From it, slightly injured Urahara emerged, along with Yoruichi and Sui-Fēng, whose clothes were a bit tattered, but they were mostly unharmed.

"Why... Urahara-san... why didn't you tell me." Ichigo asked with clenched fists.

Said man dusted himself and looked at his destroyed hat, throwing it away with a sigh.

He sat in front of Ichigo, looking for the right words.

After a minute, he opened his mouth.

"I... was scared." He answered honestly, earning a surprised expression from Yoruichi and Sui-Fēng but no reaction from ichigo.

"I was afraid that if you knew, that the one that oversees the Afterlife and shinigami was somehow responsible for the death of your mother, that you'd turn your back on us. That you'd let Aizen to go after the Soul King. That you anger would cloud your mind and you'd even sacrifice your friends... I know that nothing I'll say will make a difference... but I'm honestly sorry." Urahara finished and bowed to Ichigo.

"Did Dad knew all this?" Ichigo asked in a dull voice.

Urahara hesitated for a second but nodded in the end.

"Yes. He had his own reason for not wanting to tell you but they were as sound as mine."

Ichigo gritted his teeth for a moment but then he unclenched his fists.

"Did anyone else knew?"

Urahara shook his head.

"No, I don't think anyone you know knew about it."

Yoruichi watched them with heavy heart. On one hand, she wanted to kick the ass of her childhood friend so hard, he wouldn't be able to sit down for at least a week but on the other one... she wanted just to hug Ichigo, to let him know that she would stand by him no matter what.

She was slowly realizing what these thoughts meant, but she also knew that this wasn't the right time for it.

Finally, after a few long minutes, Ichigo sighed and the flames around him slowly disappeared, allowing Yoruichi to grab his shoulders lightly.

He absent-mindedly reached for her hands and squeezed them, but after that he shakily stood up.

"I'm not forgiving you for now, Urahara-san. I don't think that you are someone who would willingly hurt others, but you are also a shady person, who operates behind the scenes and right now, you lost some of my trust." He stated, not looking at the shopkeeper.

Urahara also stood up, sadly nodding.

"I know, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo turned to Sui-Fēng, who was slightly uncomfortable with the scene.

"I assume something bad happened in Soul Society." He said.

"Yes... Aizen Sosuke vanished from his prison." She hesitantly admitted and watched as Ichigo's eyes widened for a second.

"I see... bastard. Are you here just to inform me or are you here to take me to Soul Society?"

Sui-Fēng recoiled a little. She was expecting more violent reaction from Ichigo after hearing that they let Aizen escape.

"Uh, well, Captain Commander would like you to come back to Soul Society as we don't know what will the traitor do next. A note was sent to Royal Guard and we are awaiting them in few days time." At the mention of the Royal Guard Ichigo clenched his fists again, but stayed calm.

"I'll get there later." He turned to Urahara.

"Now, I need to get back to Las Noches for a moment and after that, we, meaning me and Urahara-san, are going after to talk to my Dad. I want to know everything."

"As you wish, Kurosaki-san, oh, by the way, your friends who were here with you are already on their way back." Urahara nodded and watched as Ichigo turned away and flashed into the direction of Las Noches.

He quickly interrupted Yoruichi with his hand when he saw her opening her mouth.

"I know, Yoruichi, you're angry and you have every right to be... but later. I was hoping we could talk to Kurosaki-san about his new abilities. They seem dangerous."

Sui-Fēng just looked at them with mouth opened wide.

_'Was I just disregarded as a bother?'_

* * *

_Outside of Las Noches, two hours later_

Lilynette watched as Ichigo finally arrived, his clothes torn and little bloody. Harribel, Nel and Grimmjow came few minutes ago and already explained what happened at enemy base, leaving Lilynette anxious.

As Ichigo stopped in front of her, with two other people behind him, she smiled a bit.

_'He's fine, it's nothing serious...I'm glad.'_

She slowly walked to him and briefly hugged him, earning a raised eyebrow from Yoruichi.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Ichigo." She whispered into his ear, making him smile a little.

"Yeah, thanks Lily." She smiled too. Before the four of them went for counterattack, Ichigo decided that Lilynette was a too long name so he shortened it to Lily, against which she didn't protest. In fact she liked it as it made her feel a little closer to him.

_'Lily, hmm?'_ Yoruichi thought with grimace.

"I take it that Harribel-san already told you what happened?" Ichigo asked the smaller Arrancar.

"Yeah, but I'd rather hear it from you." Her smile weakened when Ichigo shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but I can't stay here. There's been some problems in Soul Society and ... with my Dad and I have to take care of that." He patted her on her helmet.

"Don't worry though, I'll visit you as soon as I can, okay?" He chuckled when Lilynette pouted and with a small grin he leaned to her.

"Tell everyone that I'm sorry about my abrupt departure and take this, it's a communicator. You can always call me if you want to, okay?" He handed her a small device he received from Urahara. She nodded and quickly planted a small kiss on his cheek, surprising him.

"See you later, Ichigo." She grinned and sprinted inside.

_'Okay, I don't like her already.'_ Yoruichi thought possessively as her mouth twitched in irritation.

Ichigo turned to Urahara and others.

"We can go now. Captain Sui-Fēng, stay with Yoruichi-san at Urahara's Shop until I'll send a message, or you can go back to Soul Society, it's your call."

Sui-Fēng raised one eyebrow at the sudden formality in his voice, but nodded.

Ichigo turned and opened a Garganta for them.

"Let's go."

* * *

_Kurosaki's household_

Isshin was relaxing on his favourite chair as his shift in a clinic ended just a few minutes ago.

It was hard to do it, because he has been feeling a dread in his spine for the past few hours. Yuzu and Karin were fortunately on a sleep-over at their friend's house, so he didn't have to worry about them.

The only one whose location was unknown was Ichigo.

His only son.

His fears were true, when after a few more minutes, he heard the entrance doors being open and he felt the reiatsu of his long time friend, Urahara Kisuke.

"Yo, Kisuke, what-" He stopped in the middle of his sentence, when he noticed that Ichigo was standing next to Urahara with slightly angry expression on his face.

"Kisuke?"

"He knows, Isshin. He met the Ancient."

Isshin's eyes widened and he suddenly understood the dread he was feeling was because of this.

"Fuck, okay... let me just grab my things."

"What?" Ichigo's angry expression was replaced with confusion.

Isshin turned to him with neutral expression.

"Well, you can't have the full story without him."

"Without who?"

Isshin sighed and looked at Ichigo with serious eyes.

"Ryūken Ishida."

**End of Chapter 11.**

**Okay, I'll say some things as I'm sure there are gonna be questions.**

**I think it's clear that the fight between the Ancient and Ichigo wasn't as grand as you probably wanted it to be, but this is only the first appearance of the Ancient and I can't have him reveal all of his strength immediately, can I? But I think that showed that with his current power, Ichigo would eventually loose.**

**Some of you pointed out that the former Espada shouldn't have so much trouble with Adjuchas and could have take on more than one Vasto Lorde easily... I think I answered that in this chapter. What Harribel thinks is right. I didn't state it directly and let it on your imagination but if you want definitive statement: Yes, the Ancient was infusing his subordinates with a portion of his reiryoku, temporarily powering them up.  
**

**I think that some things should be getting clear but there will be twists in the future, don't worry.**

**Yes, Yoruichi is finally realizing that she loves Ichigo.**

**Yes, she should have been able to subdue Ichigo before he did so much damage to Urahara, but since she loves him, it was hard for her to attack him.  
**

**Oh and Ichigo explained to Urahara basics of his power, but only to him during their return to Las Noches. (I'm saying this in case I'll have Urahara mentioning Ichigo's abilities in the future)**

**The last thing... lack of Ichigo's reaction towards the fact that Aizen vanished is simply because his mind is full of other questions he has, plus being too tired to care at that moment.**

**Next chapter : Ichigo finally learns the whole truth. I don't have a name for it yet. See ya again.**

**btw: Seriously? 6 weeks without Bleach manga? ... I'm just gonna go there... in the corner...curl in the ball and cry a lot... -_-**


	12. Chapter 12: The Last Secret

**Well, two days after I finished the chapter 11 I sat on my chair with the goal of writing at least something in Chapter 12 and when I finished I had already more than a half of it written... damn my muse must have kicked me hard. **

***The Shuiro Amayaa - well, it was one of my goals when I started to write this... to get better at English :D. I thought of going through my previous chapter but for now I rather focus on the new ones. When I'll have the time, I'll do that... but I'm afraid I'd want to rewrite them completely :D  
**

***BukkakeNoJutsu (interesting name :D btw) - Yes, I know that Elsie and Michael aren't very biblical names, but that was the point. The Ancient only made those name up because he doesn't remember the actual names... But you'll get to know their real names when we will be near the end ;)**

***te_nellis yeaaah...no. I admit, it would be interesting to see Ichigo turn on Soul Society (and you or anyone else is free to use this idea for your own story) but Ichigo, as I wrote him wouldn't do that just like that. It would go against his character to simply disregard everything and fight his friends. He's not such a hot-headed kid as he once was. He matured a bit and now he wants to know what happened. To have every bit of information before he'll decide on what to do... though his trust towards the Gotei 13 is little chipped now.**

***yoruichifan - yes, I mentioned that, but you misunderstood :D. When I said the story may turn out longer... the ending will stay the same, but the road to it may be longer. I may add more arcs before the finale, that's what I was thinking about... but to tell you the truth, it seems like we are thinking alike as in the last chapter or even before, I mentioned that I had an idea for my next story and it involves time travel , but a different from what you wrote.  
btw: Hogyoku ex Machina is a great time-travel fic and it's in some things similar to your idea.**

**To the rest of you, thank you for your nice reviews.  
Way of the Protector is reaching 200 reviews and 50k views... which is amazing and it makes me very happy :)**

**Enjoy the chapter 12 ;)**

**Chapter 12 - The Last Secret (Inherited Light that protects the Darkness)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

It was a cloudy night when Ichigo, Urahara and Isshin leisurely walked towards the hospital, in which Uryuu's father, Ryūken Ishida, worked as a director.

During the entire walk, Ichigo kept himself two steps behind his father and the crazy scientist, trying to burn a hole in Isshin's head with his eyes.

Outwardly, he was keeping his cool but on the inside, his rage was making it hard to concentrate and think about the latest revelation.

Ryūken Ishida.

What does his father have in common with that man?

Ichigo met the strict doctor only once in his life and truthfully, the man didn't leave a good impression.

In Ichigo's eyes, Ryūken was a cold man, incapable of expressing love or any other feelings at that. After that meeting, he finally understood Uryū's attitude, which he probably got from his own father.

The death of his mother was most likely the second reason, as Ichigo never heard him mention her so he thought that she must have died at some point in past.

So what connection did his father have with Ryūken?

Clenching his fists, he shook a little.

He wanted to scream at Isshin.

He wanted to kick him in the balls.

He wanted to yank his hair and punch him in the face... to make him feel pain.

The only thing that was preventing him from doing so was not enough knowledge.

Praying for his father's own good, he hoped that there were some crucial circumstances for this silence, that evidently went for far too long.

As they neared the hospital, deep voice called out to Ichigo in his mind.

_**'Ichigo, when everyone will be present, let me out to participate in this conversation.'**_

_'Why? Is there any problem, Zangetsu?'_ Ichigo asked mentally.

His inner spirit shook his head.

**'**_**No, there is not. But my presence will be needed to clear some things out.'**_

Raising one eyebrow, Ichigo nodded and looked up, when he noticed that they were at the place.

After a couple of minutes of wandering through the halls, they found Ryūken in his office.

When he saw Isshin, he grimaced and closed his eyes.

"Isshin, always a pleasure to see you come uninvited."

Isshin ignored the jab and sidestepped to the side, showing Ichigo to Ryūken.

The doctor raised one of his eyebrows.

"Kurosaki Ichigo... nice to see you."

"Likewise, sir."

Ryūken frowned and turned to Isshin.

"Are you sure he's your son? He's too polite for that."

Ichigo's mouth twitched, while Isshin sighed for the second time.

"Ryūken... it's time."

That seemed to gain Ryūken's attention and he carefully studied Ichigo.

"So... the shitty father finally decided to reveal something that should have been already revealed? Masaki would be so proud." He stated sarcastically.

Ichigo froze at those words.

"Y-you knew my Mum?"

Ryūken only laughed hollowly.

"Knew? Kid, I was supposed to marry her."

...

Seeing that Ichigo's mind shut itself down, Isshin sighed again.

"Let's start from the beginning, Ryūken. There's no need to be cruel."

Ryūken glanced at Ichigo's hurt expression and rubbed his temples.

"Yeah, right. Let's take this elsewhere. We're probably going to need more spacious room, if you're thinking what I'm thinking."

Isshin nodded.

"Yeah."

Urahara had a thoughtfull expression, standing behind them.

_'It's almost as if I'm invisible.'_

* * *

_Under the Karakura Hospital_

"Very nice place, Ryūken-san." Urahara stated jovially when he entered the Ishida's hidden chamber, secretly built right under the hospital.

"Ichigo... Ichigo!" Isshin punched his son lightly to snap him out of his thoughts.

He has been unresponsive since Ryūken told him about him being the very person his mother should have married.

Ichigo rubbed the sore place and sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening."

Ryūken walked to the centre of the chamber and turned around.

"This is a hidden chamber devised from soul-synthesized silver and glass. I used this chamber to return Uryuu's powers back to him. Since the material these walls are made of hides the reiatsu inside, we can talk without worrying about interruptions."

Isshin nodded.

"Exactly, so we should start from the-"

"Wait a sec Dad." Ichigo interrupted him.

"What is it?" The older shinigami asked impatiently.

"Zangetsu, my zanpaktou spirit wants to participate in this conversation, wait a moment till I'll materialize him."

_'His zanpaktou spirit?' _All three of them thought in surprise.

_'Come out, Zangetsu.' _Ichigo thought and pulled in his mind, materializing the man in black robe.

In a mater of seconds, Isshin turned into his shinigami form and pulled out his own zanpaktou, Urahara jumped back and readied Benihime, while Ryūken instantly formed his reishi bow.

"YOU!" They all yelled in anger.

**"Nice to meet you Isshin Kurosaki, Ryūken Ishida and Urahara Kisuke."**

"Whoa! What are you guys doing?" Ichigo jumped in surprise.

"Ichigo! Why is this man here?!" Isshin turned to his son with serious expression on his face.

Ichigo only looked blankly on him.

"What are you talking about. This is Zangetsu, my zanpaktou spirit."

Urahara, Isshin and Ryūken widened their eyes.

_'So that's how he created his blade.' _Urahara thought nervously.

_'N-no way... so he's... ' _Isshin gripped his zanpaktou tightly.

_'... I see.' _ Was the only thing that Ryūken thought.

**"You don't need to overreact. I'm not here to harm anyone, I'll only help to explain things to Ichigo as he needs to know. The Date is coming... after all."**

"Date?" Ichigo asked dumbly.

"Ichigo..." Isshin gulped and looked at his son with worry in his eyes, sweating all over.

**"Don't say it yet, Isshin Kurosaki. He needs to know the beginning before that."** Isshin was immediately hushed.

Ichigo just looked between the faces of everyone, absolutely confused and feeling something bad at the back of his spine.

"Enough with this bullshit. I'm tired of mindfucks! Just tell me the whole truth. Tell me everything." He exclaimed, looking at Ryūken, who begrudgingly let his bow dissolve into spirit particles.

"All right. You should probably sit down, kid, as some things will probably shock you to your core." Ryūken said to Ichigo, who swallowed heavily and slowly sat on the cold floor.

The only man in white sighed and looked up.

"Urahara Kisuke told me that you met the Ancient and heard about the Soul King's interference with Masaki's death... I assume that the Ancient told you his story, trying to justified it a little. However, he probably left out crucial things. You see, a thousand years ago, there was a huge battle happening in Soul Society. On one side, the Divisions, nowadays know as Gotei 13 and on the other side..."

Ryūken clenched his fists.

"... the Quincy."

Ichigo raised his eyebrow.

"But I heard that the shinigami fought the Ancient and his son."

"Indeed. Son of the Ancient was the first human being, that acquired the power to manipulate spirit particles, the spirit energy. The First Quincy, Ywach."

"The first Quincy?"

"I'm sure that this thought happened to flash across your mind before. How did the Quincy start? Where did they come from? It is simple. Ywach was a being, conceived by a powerful spirit and a human. As souls could have never get into such a contact with humans before, it was a unique case. He was obviously killed when he was only few weeks, but his powers came with him into the Afterlife. He lived in Soul Society as the sibling of the late Soul King. After he found out about his roots, about the false truth he was living under and after his younger sibling took the throne that, in his mind, belonged to him, he located his real father and started to create plans how to overthrow the Soul King. Roughly at that time, he started to visit the Human World, bestowing selected humans with the portion of his own power. Using many means, he helped them develop their abilities and taught them how to kill hollows and became their King. As their progenitor, he created a small army out of them and slowly turned their minds against the Soul Society, using them as his soldiers. He took the strongest of them, the ones whose abilities were most developed, with him to the Soul Society along with his father to fight the shinigami."

_'Wow... I never knew.' _Ichigo thought in wonder.

Ryūken grimaced before talking again.

"Eventually, this foolishness stopped and Ywach was defeated, although not killed. Using his own powers after his shinigami weakened Ywach, the Soul King sealed him into a new dimension. It was a sub-dimension of hell. Not many know this, but this sub-dimension is actually called Muken and it serves as the prison for the worst criminals. Not so long ago, it was used to imprison someone, who almost decimated the Soul Society in the Winter War, Aizen Sosuke."

Ichigo was glad that he was already sitting, because his legs felt weak after that statement.

"Why the hell would they send that bastard there? Are they stupid?"

Urahara shook his head.

"You have to understand something, Kurosaki-san. Muken isn't a simple sub-dimension with barriers and limitations. It's literally an empty void, an endless nothingness that nobody can escape from. Nobody suspected that it was possible for two prisoners to meet in Muken." He explained while Ichigo grimaced.

"Still, it's stupid."

"I agree." Ryūken unexpectedly nodded in acknowledgement.

"No matter how small was the possibility, they shouldn't have used it. But that isn't all. Imprisonment isn't the only use of Muken. Kurosaki... do you know what happens to those humans, who commit unspeakable terrors, murders, rapes during their life? Where do they go after death?" He asked Ichigo.

"Hell." Ichigo answered quickly.

"Yes, and what do you think happens to Quincy after his death? During our lives we kill hollows, completely erasing their existence, thus murdering the souls. It is also considered as a hideous crime, isn't it?" Ryūken stated, making Ichigo widen his eyes.

"Y-you go to hell? But most of the time you're only defending yourself!"

Isshin and Urahara actually looked down at that.

"Not exactly. Why do you think I gave up on being Quincy Why do you think I never wanted for Uryū to become one? Because if you use your Quincy powers during your life, you'll unavoidably end up in Muken."

"Wha..?"

"There is a legend that wanders in Quincy folklore... 'The Sealed King of the Quincy regained his heartbeat again after 900 years, regained his intellect after 90 years, regained his power after 9 years and regained his world after 9 days.'"

Ichigo blinked once.

Twice.

"What? So the Date... you mean it's should be now?...Great. Just great." He grimaced. Not so long ago, Soul Society had problem with only Aizen and now even Quincy King?

"Yes... and he won't be alone." Ryūken continued.

"What do you mean?"

The doctor sighed.

"Ywach was sealed in Muken, however his power is so great that eventually, after almost one thousand years, he will come back. During those years, every Quincy that died went straight to Muken and I believe that they somehow found him. Most likely they started to recreate their territory there, waiting patiently for the return of their King. This knowledge eventually got out to the World of the Living and to those Quincy, who were still alive. It spurred a lot activity on their side, resulting in the massacre 200 years ago, when shinigami tried to exterminate all of Quincy."

In that moment, Ichigo remember Uryuu's words from when they were still enemies.

"Yeah, Uryuu mentioned that massacre."

Ryūken nodded.

"I thought so. The shinigami took it as a win, since the remaining Quincy went into hiding. What shinigami didn't understand was, however, that this was the actual plan. To get yourself killed, so that you'd rejoin your only King in the afterlife."

Ichigo opened his mouth dumbly and turned to Urahara and his father.

"If I knew this sooner, I would have warned the Soul Society, but I found out about this only after I met Ryūken-san." Urahara stated, shrugging sadly.

"Hold on, if you never wanted for Uryuu to use his Quincy powers, why did you restore them?" Ichigo asked accusingly.

"Because I told him the entire truth already and I let him to decide his own fate. I'm his father, but unlike my own parents, I refuse to dictate his whole life. He's smart enough to know what's best for him." Ryūken answered cooly.

"...and I'm the shitty Dad here..." Isshin muttered and received a dirty look from Ichigo.

"On the contrary Dad, I agree with Ryūken-san, actually. Uryuu is really smart and using secrets so that you could control your son is bullshit." Ichigo quickly said, surprising Isshin and Ryuken who turned to Isshin.

"I have to ask again, is he really your son?"

"..." Isshin pouted, making Ryūken turn away in disgust.

"Uryuu knows almost everything I know, but you, Ichigo, you know nothing. Isshin, you want to say it, or should I?" Ryūken asked after a moment of silence.

"I'll do it." Isshin glanced at Ichigo, sighing heavily.

_'I'll just hope he won't kill me.'_

"I'm sorry that I lied to you, son, but no more... do you still remember the talk we had, before you had to leave the World of the Living?" Isshin asked carefully.

Ichigo just nodded and motioned him to continue.

"As you were already aware, I never told you the entire truth. I heard from Kisuke, that you met Kūkaku and Ganju Shiba and they told you that you are their cousin?"

Again, Ichigo nodded.

"Well, technically, that's a lie."

...

"Excuse me?" Ichigo was sure he misheard.

Wiping a little sweat from his brow, as his son released some of his reiatsu directly at him, Isshin continued.

"In truth, I was adopted by Shiba Clan around fifty years ago as their long lost uncle but I was originally born in the Royal Realm as I am the direct descendant of the Soul King. Obviously, Kūkaku and Ganju aren't aware of that."

With his eyes bulging out of their eye sockets, Ichigo gasped a little.

"You mean I'm a descendant of somebody who killed my mother?"

Isshin quickly shook his head.

"It's more complicated than that and I'll get to that... more than fifty years ago, I was sent on a mission from the Soul King to monitor the Soul Society, observe anything out of the ordinary. He was fearing betrayals, as the date of the Ywach's rebirth was slowly coming and there was nothing even he could do. Not even his powers could erase his elder sibling and since his parents weren't living anymore, nor he could destroy Muken. Therefore, he could only wait for the inevitable and somehow prepare for it. So, I was adopted by the Shiba Clan, eventually becoming head after I was elected to become a Captain of the 10th Division. Then... around twenty years ago, there was a grim report saying that something fishy was going on in the World of the Living. My officers were getting slaughtered in Narukishi town so I went there to scout the situation myself."

_'Narukishi town? That's nearby.'_

"When I got there, I came across a powerful hollow. He was unlike anything I met before. We fought and before I knew it, we crossed the jurisdiction boundary, landing in Karakura Town. As I released my zanpaktou and was preparing to kill the hollow, somebody attacked me from behind, wounding me and preventing me from eventually releasing ma bankai, which is a killer for my body to handle...was at that time. Try to guess who attacked me... "

With wide eyes Ichigo opened his mouth.

"... Aizen..." He whispered, making Isshin nod.

"Yes. The bastard used Kisuke's cloak to conceal himself, so I didn't know what happened then. With that wound, fighting became hard. That was when your mother, Masaki, came... and tried to help me by attacking the hollow, catching his attention."

"B-but how could she attack him? Wait... how could she even saw that hollow... unless..." Ichigo's eyes widened even further and his breath died in his throat."

Isshin sadly nodded.

"Yes... your mother was a Quincy."

* * *

_Soul Society (1st Division Barracks)_

"Captain Sui-Fēng, I was awaiting you with Kurosaki Ichigo by your side." Yamamoto squinted his eyes in suspicion.

Sui-Fēng waited for a few moments at Urahara's shop along with Yoruichi, but eventually, she decided to return to Soul Society.

"I know, Captain Commander, and I apologize, but Kurosaki insisted on talking with his father about some secrets first." Sui-Fēng answered truthfully and gulped a little when a heavy reiatsu pressed on her.

"Captain Sui-Fēng, I think I stressed quite strongly how important it was for Kurosaki Ichigo to return to Soul Society." Captain Commander raised his voice a little.

"I-I'm aware of that but... sir, I don't think Kurosaki Ichigo will want to come back to the Soul Society." Sui-Fēng stated a little bit sadly, shocking the Captains.

"What are you talking about, Captain Sui-Fēng? Kurosaki-san knows why he can't remain in the World of the Living so there is only Soul Society left." Unohana objected calmly.

"No... there is still Hueco Mundo, where I'm afraid, Kurosaki actually befriended the remaining inhabitants of Las Noches." Sui-Fēng answered with a shaking head.

"I think the right question is, why wouldn't Kurosaki wanted to come back?" Kyoraku asked.

Sui-Fēng grimaced a little.

"He... Kurosaki, came across and fought somebody that calls himself the Ancient, the first hollow ever."

"What?!" Yamamoto asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid that's still not all, sir. This Ancient told him something that may actually cause Kurosaki to turn against Soul Society."

"Turn against Soul Society? Surely you overreact, Captain." Toshiro stated, inwardly cursing. Ichigo was the best thing that happened to Momo and he would force him to come back, if only for her sake as thank to Ichigo, she was feeling better and actually communicated with other people.

With a sigh, Sui-Fēng prepared for the worst.

"It turned out that the Soul King is responsible for the death of Kurosaki's mother."

...

If Sui-Fēng awaited the outbursts and shocked screams, the deadly silence was lot worse.

"Could you repeat that, Captain Sui-Fēng? I think I heard something outrageous." Kyoraku recovered first.

"No, you heard right, Captain Kyoraku. The Soul King is somehow responsible for the death of his mother. It seems that the hollow wasn't the one that killed her... or something like that... "

"Damn." Yamamoto cursed, something he rarely did in the past.

"Yama-jii?" Kyoraku asked worriedly.

As he looked around, he noticed that the other Captains were taking the news badly.

'_Why would the Soul King be interested in a human?'_ Most of them thought.

Captain Commander sighed.

"If that is the case, I think that my theories have just been proven right..."

"What theory, Genryūsai-dono?" Ukitake asked.

"That Kurosaki Ichigo's father is not Isshin Kurosaki, but he changed his name from... Isshin Shiba, the previous Captain of the 10th Division... and the only descendant of the Soul King himself."

* * *

_With Ichigo_

_'Oh my, oh my,what a bad truck. Are you okay sweety?' Masaki asked his son, wiping away the water from his face._

_'Sorry, let's switch. I'll walk on the roadside.' She said, lightly grabbing his hands._

_'It's okay, I'll stay on this side! I'm wearing a raincoat, so I'll be fine. I'll protect you from now on, Momma!' 9 years old Ichigo said bravely._

_'Oh my, how reliable.' Masaki said, gently smiling at him._

_Ichigo mumbled while she finished wiping away the water._

_'There, all cleaned up! Now, let's go!' She grabbed his hand and started to run lightly, laughing lightly._

_'Mum...' _Present Ichigo thought with tears in his eyes.

"Why... why didn't you tell me..." He turned to Isshin, who held his head down.

"Because there was no need for you to know, son. As far as everything went, we were a perfectly normal, happy family. And don't you dare to say that if you knew, Masaki could have been alive. It's not your fault that she's dead... just... listen to the rest of the story... " Isshin said and suddenly, he looked a whole lot older, as if he was shouldering hundreds of years on his back.

Having no strength to answer, Ichigo only nodded.

"I thought that it was foolish, attacking that hollow just like that, head on. It was clear that he was faster than her aim and I feared that a civilian would get killed because of my inability... imagine my surprise when she used the hollow's instincts against him. Luring him to attack her, she allowed the hollow to bite her and used that moment to blow his head off."

_'Heh... so mom was actually pretty bad-ass.' _Despite the tears, Ichigo managed to smile.

"The hollow became unstable and almost blew up next to her. I managed to somehow save her, but it cost me injuries, which she healed in return. That was the first time I met your mother. After the incident, I returned to Soul Society but never told anyone about her, nor about her being a Quincy. There was also another thing. I should have focused on my job, on my mission but ever since that meeting... I couldn't stop thinking about Masaki and wanted to see her again. I guess it was love at first sight." He trailed off and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it swiftly.

"Heh... now this reminds me her better. After some time, I sneaked out to the World of the Living, where I learned a terrible truth, but I think Ryūken should say something before that."

Ryūken nodded and Ichigo turned to him.

"You see... Ichigo... Masaki and I were amongst the last pure Quincy in Japan. We were even distant relatives but since my mother wanted to keep the Quincy lineage pure and since Masaki had no other family... she invited Masaki to live with us so that we would get to know each other and eventually she would marry me. I have to say, I was against it. It felt forced and I knew that Masaki loved me as a brother so that marriage would feel weird. On the night Isshin fought that hollow, she sneaked out of the Mansion, feeling the immense reiatsu outside... I caught her, but she argued with me that allowing somebody else to die while you have the power to save him, no matter who that is... she said she would regret it forever. I couldn't say anything to her so I let her." Ryūken said and clenched his fists.

"I screwed up just as badly as Isshin. That night, Masaki was supposed to return unharmed. She was a Quincy who possessed the strongest Blut Vene in the history of the Quincy, only the Ywach himself was better at it. So that you would know, Blut means using one's blood to increase his own abilities. Blut Vene serves to increase durability of one's skin, making it almost impenetrable, while Blut Arterie is used to increase the attack power. Somehow, however, the hollow managed to bite through her Blut Vene and infected her with the hollow pathogen."

Many questions were raised in Ichigo's mind, swirling around like a torrent of energy, making him feel a terrible headache.

"Wait... I never saw something like that in Uryuu."

"True, usage of Blut is shown by a special pattern visible on your skin. Uryuu is not a pure Quincy and to acquire it, he needs to train. Me and Masaki were pure and our Blut manifested itself early in our lives." Ryūken answered awaiting another question.

"What about this pure, not pure bullshit?" Ichigo asked with a grimace.

Ryūken rubbed his temples and grimaced himself.

"At the beginning, there were only pure Quincy , Echt, which means pure blood... literally. When a Quincy is attacked by a hollow, getting an injury, his blood is poisoned with the hollow reiryoku, making him a Gemischt, a mixed blood. A Gemischt Quincy can only produce Gemischt offspring. An Echt Quincy produces Echt offspring, who can be turned into Gemischt. Uryuu's mother, Katagiri, was once my personal maid who loved me dearly, but she was a Gemischt. Therefore, my mother refused her as my wife. After Masaki married Isshin however, she let me marry her. That's why, Uryuu's is a Gemischt. Talented Gemischt I must say, but don't tell him that, I don't want to encourage him." Ryūken said while looking sideways and glanced at Isshin expectantly.

_'So he actually cares about Uryuu.' _Ichigo thought, actually glad.

"Right. So, when I came to the World of the Living, I found Ryūken, carrying comatose Masaki and being attacked by a hollow. That's when I found out that she was infected and practically dying. That's also when I first met Kisuke here." Isshin pointed at Urahara, who was silent through the entire conversation.

"Yes, I ran into young Masaki-san a few hours before and felt the hollow reiatsu inside her getting stronger. But I couldn't just snatch her away, so I waited till something happened. This way, I came across these two arguing about Masaki-san and I offered them a solution."

Ichigo refocused on Urahara, as it seemed he would be talking more.

"You see, Kurosaki-san, the hollow Aizen created was different. It poisoned a Quincy and created a unique case I never came across before. Normally, her soul should have died after the poisoning, but she was fighting back, loosing, but still fighting. I had some experience with Vaizards already so I was confident I could do something. She would never go back the way she was before, but she would live. Hollowification was meant to be used on shinigami, by breaking the boundaries between the souls to try and turn the original soul into something more powerful. But it can't be controlled and results in something that's called Soul Suicide. But the opposing force can recreate the balance of the soul, preventing the Soul Suicide. Using the light of Quincy's holy arrow and a human soul I 'cured' the Vaizards. Do you see? Shinigami, hollows, human soul and a Quincy power... these four sides of force can create something spectacular. In Masaki's case, she was a Quincy with a hollow reiryoku inside her. There was still a shinigami power of a human left."

Ichigo instantly turned to Isshin.

"Precisely. Isshin-san offered himself to be the one that would prevent Masaki's hollowification till the day she'd die. In the process, he was forced to live in a special Gigai, which turned him into a human and he lost his shinigami powers as they were supressing the hollow and was left only with the ability to sense reiatsu. Kurosaki-san... do you see why everyone thinks you are probably the most interesting and important person right now? Your are a natural hybrid... something that every scientist would want to achieve... a perfect transcendental being in whom all of four forces work together, creating a perfect balance."

Something in his words caused Ichigo to frown as he snapped at Urahara.

"So I'm just an experiment to you?"

Urahara quickly shook his head.

"Of course not, Kurosaki-san. I'm interested you, but I'm not the one who thought of you like that... Aizen did."

Mentioning Aizen again made a flash to fly across Ichigo's eyes.

"So that's what the Ancient was talking about. The piece of his mask he gave Aizen so that he could create a special hollow... it was that hollow that bit my mum and left me with inner hollow."

The trio exchanged worried looks.

"... I did not know that." Urahara pointed out deep in thoughts.

"That's why it could penetrate even Masaki's Blut Vene." Ryūken cursed under his breath.

Ichigo frowned.

"You still didn't finish the story. I get how Ryūken-san knows you, but why did the Ancient mentioned that the Soul King had his fingers in her death?"

Isshin stepped forward.

"You should have realized it by now, Ichigo. Me, a direct descendant of the Soul King, Masaki, the direct descendant of Ywach. The unlikely duo with great potential got married and had a son who inherited these potential and now possess his own potential so great, it can threaten the strongest beings in this world. The Quincy legend about the Quincy King... " He replied anxiously.

"You mean..."

"After my soul got connected with Masaki's and after she graduated from High school, Masaki was expelled from Ishida's family. I used my knowledge from the Shinigami Academy and created a clinic. Masaki often visited me whenever she had a break at the university and eventually... you were born. What happened afterwards is well know to you. However you still don't know the real reason why she died..." Isshin trailed off and clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth.

"That night, when you got attacked by Grand Fisher, Masaki should have been able to get rid of him in no time, that's why I wasn't worried about her... Ryūken mentioned Katagiri, Uryuu's mother. Did you ever hear him talking about her?"

"No?" Ichigo looked at him in confusion.

"The same night Masaki died, on 17th June, Katagiri lost her consciousness and three months later, died."

"What! What the fuck happened that day?" Ichigo asked, in his mind pitying Uryuu.

_'I never knew he lost his mother almost at the same time I did.'_

"On that day... Ywach made a 'Selection of Quincy'. You heard that Quincy legend. In order for Ywach to regain his power, he stole the power from the mixed-blood Quincy he considered 'impure' and made it his own. He selected Katagiri, who was mixed-blood from the day she was born and Masaki, who got infected by hollow reiryoku, but still remained a Quincy with enough power to be considered pure. Katagiri always possessed a weak body and loosing her Quincy powers eventually resulted in her death as her body couldn't handle it. But Masaki was different, stronger, and the only thing that happened was the fact that she lost her powers, but she should have remained alive. That's where the Soul King comes." Isshin bit his lip and almost shook with fury.

"He somehow found out about my location and that I was married with a woman, whose veins contained the blood of the one that wanted him dead. Soul King's descendant with his enemy's descendant? Never. So he used his power and prevented the shinigami from coming to Masaki's rescue. Grand Fisher was a wanted hollow even back then and Soul Society had him on their radar and knew that he was targeting Masaki, but on the order from the Soul King... they let her die. I think that the Soul King wanted you dead too, but you survived-gah-". Isshin stumbled when Ichigo's angry reiatsu pressed on them.

"Bastard..., Aizen, Ywach... the Soul King... they will all pay..." Ichigo muttered darkly.

"Ichigo, calm down!" Isshin exclaimed and raised his hands when Ichigo turned to him with an angry stare.

"I won't tell you not to hate those people, but... just don't act rashly. Think about it. You can't get to Soul King and even if you somehow succeeded and for example killed him, what do you think would happen? Aizen would won, Ywach would won as that's precisely what they want. You would condemn the whole Soul Society to death, your every friend. Would you be happy?" Isshin tried to convince him.

"What are you expecting from me, Dad?! That I should just turn a blind eye on that? I should forget?" Ichigo yelled at him, making Isshin to shook his head.

"No, Ichigo... I expect you to learn how to live with it. Revenge is never the solution. If you'd join Ywach, it would result in many deaths. On the other hand I don't expect you to just shake hands with the Soul King. Believe me, I want to kick his ass as much as you want to... Change, Ichigo. Be the man that you mother always wanted you to be. Be the one who protects. You've been doing it amazingly till now. Don't stop because of your past. Look forward and abandon your fears... you have the power to destroy the world but instead, use it to change it. Use your power wisely."

Ichigo looked at him with hard gaze.

"You're expecting too much from me, Dad... I'm not a superhero from an action movie. I'm not a selfless person. I'm not even a good person. Do you know that my Zanpaktou power is Darkness? What does that tell you about me?" He dropped his gaze and looked at his trembling hands.

Sighing, Isshin walked to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"It tells me nothing, son. Your power tells nothing. It's your actions that tells me that you are not a good person but a great one. You were able to get over your mother's death and you even befriended the kind responsible for Masaki's death. You befriended hollows, because you choose to. Don't sell yourself cheaply, Ichigo. You are already a better person that I'd ever be... and your mother would be proud on you." Isshin said, forcing Ichigo to raise his head.

As their gazes met, Ichigo could saw in Isshin's eyes, that he really meant what he just said.

"Thanks Dad... but I don't know. What would you do?"

Isshin chuckled sadly and shook his head.

"It doesn't matter what would I do. Choose yourself. It's the only way."

**"If I may..."** Ichigo and Isshin quickly turned, completely forgetting about the last person in the room.

Isshin frowned while looking at the man in black.

"Ichigo... there is a last thing that could shake your resolve, so prepare for it." He stated and walked away from Ichigo.

**"Ichigo, didn't you find it weird that you possessed no physical sword when you pulled me out on that day in the Shattered Shaft? That you created a sword from nothing? Didn't you hear a voice inside your head when you were using the actual powers of your zanpaktou? That everyone in this room reacted violently when they saw me?" **His inner spirit asked immediately.

"N-no?" Ichigo asked with a dreadful feeling in his spine.

**"Didn't you find it weird that I only taught you Getsuga Tensho? That I never bothered with another techniques until you merged with Shirosaki? I told you that you held every potential ther is. You now know that you are an offspring of a Quincy. It never occurred to you that despite that, you never used a Quincy technique before?"**

After that a short silence followed and nobody moved.

**"Ichigo, do you know what I am? Who I am?"**

"Uhm... Zangetsu?"

**"No, Ichigo, until now, you never met your actual zanpaktou, only time you saw somebody similar to him was when you met Tensa Zangetsu... my name is ..."**

**"Ywach. I am a representation of your Quincy power."**

...

Feeling weak, Ichigo had to grab the wall to be able to still stand.

"What does that mean?! Are you saying you're not Zangetsu? Why? Answer me!" He yelled in confusion.

**"It's exactly as I said, Ichigo. I am a representation of your Quincy powers therefore, my appearance is that of Ywach from 1000 years ago. When I told you before, that you never used actual abilities of your zanpaktou, I told you the truth. You know that your hollow was inside of you from the day you were born and was also your shinigami power. But a hollow is a hollow and in the Shattered Shaft, you were becoming one at alarming pace, fueling his power. You couldn't pull out your shinigami power without pulling out him that's why I showed up. Nevertheless, I was still powerless as your Quincy powers are still dormant so I did the only thing I could. I absorbed the portion of your shinigami powers and acted as your zanpaktou, allowing you to fight. That's why your hollow wanted out, why he interfered so much. It was your shinigami powers trying to usurp back the control. When you died in your fight with Ulquiorra and merged with Shirosaki, I could no longer stop the power of your zanpaktou and its true powers finally emerged."**

As the weakness in Ichigo's legs subsided, anger instead boiled in his veins.

"So you're really not Zangetsu... so what are you?! Are you an ally or are you my enemy?!" He yelled in frustration.

Ywach closed his eyes for a moment.

**"I'm not your ally, nor your enemy. Aside from the moment when I told you my name, my words and my heart never lied to you. You must have noticed it so far, Ichigo... I acted as your zanpaktou but whenever I taught you how to use your zanpaktou, I always used Shirosaki, who was the one with Zangetsu for a long time..."**

Ichigo's eyes widened as he remembered.

_'Now begins the true test if you are worthy of using me, Ichigo. If you want to wield me again, then take me back with your own hands. You opponent is yourself!' Ywach said as Ichigo ans Shirosaki stood against each other in his inner world, where Ichigo was pulled into during his fight with Kenpachi._

_'Where is old man Zangetsu?' Ichigo asked. He was in his inner world fighting Shirosaki again, trying to access his hollow powers._

_Shirosaki only looked at him with amused eyes._

_'You bastard.' Ichigo growled._

_'I don't get it.' Shirosaki suddenly said._

_'That thing you're holding, isn't that the Zangetsu you're talking about...?' He pointed at Ichigo._

_'...or is it the one that I'm holding?' He finished and drew out a white Zangetsu._

_'You asked me where Zangetsu is? I'll tell you...' Shirosaki jumped above Ichigo, slashing at him._

_'...I'm Zangetsu!'_

"No way... Shirosaki was trying to tell me... but why couldn't he just tell me directly? Didn't I merge with him?" Ichigo was puzzled.

**"He couldn't tell you because I didn't allow him to. When Isshin told you some time ago, that Shirosaki became a separate entity after your fight with Byakuya... well, he wasn't quite right. He gained only more power. However, during Ulquiorra's fight, he separated himself from Zangetsu completely and remained only as a representation of your hollow powers. When he was giving you hints, he was still one with the true Zangetsu. That's why when you're life was seriously in danger, the one who saved you wasn't me... it was always Shirosaki."**

Ichigo managed to widen his eyes when Ywach continued with downcast expression.

**"I didn't want you to become s shinigami. That's why I tried to suppress your potential, showing you only the Getsuga Tensho... I always wanted to become the core of your power."**

"Why?" Ichigo asked pleadingly.

**"Why? Is it strange for me, to want to keep you away from fights and danger? If you become a shinigami, you will unavoidably be involved in fights. You will be hurt. You will suffer... and one day... I will definitely have to kill you with my own hands." **Ywach stated and revealed the reishi sword under his robes.

Seeing that, Ichigo frowned sadly, clenching his fist.

**"I mustn't let you become a shinigami. If you become one, I'll have to kill you..."**

Ichigo readied himself for an attack.

**"... or so I thought. However, you eventually did become a shinigami. You had a chance...trained hard...and despite getting hurt and suffering you chose to pursue that path. Whenever I saw you like that... my heart would waver. Eventually, instead of stopping you from becoming a shinigami, my heart started to help you in your path. And I'll be happy to step back when you'll unlock your Quincy power, relinquishing me of the control of your shinigami powers... I assume that's why we're here. Isn't that right, Isshin-san, Ryūken-san?"**

Both men looked at him in shock. They never expected this kind of development.

_'Ichigo... so your heart managed to move even this man... you truly are a wonderful son. If only Masaki could see you...' _Isshin thought happily.

"What do you mean? Why would you need to step back? I..." Ichigo recoiled in shock but Ywach interrupted him.

**"Ichigo... you chose your own path. You chose to be a shinigami, therefore, it will be that power that will be your core. Me, as your Quincy power and Shirosaki as your Hollow power are secondary powers that will help you achieve transcendence. We will always see you and help you, so don't worry... now Ryūken-san, if you would..." **Ywach turned to Ryūken who glanced at Isshin and seeing him nod he formed his reishi bow.

**"Ichigo, to unlock your Quincy side, you need to come into contact with the reiryoku of a pure Quincy. So far, you came into contact only with your friend, Uryuu, who is mixed-blood and his reiryoku wasn't potent enough. That's why Ryūken is here... remember, Ichigo. Abandon your fears and only look forward."** Ywach said as a holy arrow shot out of Ryūken's bow, hitting Ichigo slightly above his heart, before he had a chance to protest.

With his hands in front of him, Ichigo slowly fell on the floor.

As his consciousness was slowly fading away, Ichigo noticed that Ywach was slowly dissolving, getting absorbed by him and he remembered all the moments when this man that was supposed to be his enemy, his ally, helped him all the way... becoming a mentor that guided him to the path of the Protector.

The last thing Ichigo saw, was a small tear escaping from Ywach's eye all the while smiling encouragingly at him.

* * *

_Soul Society_

Assembled Captains all stared at the Captain Commander.

"B-but I thought Captain Shiba was KIA?" Toshiro stated in disbelief at the mentioning of his old Captain.

Yamamoto stroked his beard.

"We _assumed _that he was KIA, since his reiatsu disappeared and no body has been found and the search for him resulted in nothing. But it is possible that he somehow survived and if he's indeed the father of Kurosaki Ichigo... the young substitute's well known associate is Urahara Kisuke himself and that man is certainly capable of impossible things. If he met Isshin... Captain Kurotsuchi, your opinion?" He turned to the mad scientist who scoffed.

"Urahara Kisuke... yes. He was the man that created the undetectable gigai Kuchiki Rukia used after she lost her spiritual powers, so it is possible. Question is... why would he help Isshin Shiba? They never met before ... however, it is true that Urahara plans years ahead and he may have helped Shiba so that he would see what happens if a shinigami has a child with a human. There are many possibilities." Mayuri answered.

"Why would even Shiba-san needed Urahara-san's help? He was quite strong, even for a Captain." Ukitake wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, Gin was sweating a little in his corner.

He was contemplating about revealing what he knew.

_'I'm sorry Ichigo-chan... if I concealed this, I'd be finally sent to prison or possibly execution and this would get out either way...' _ Stealing himself, he stepped out, surprising the Captains.

"Ichimaru... what do you want." Toshiro asked slowly, barely hiding his emotions. He still haven't forgiven him for his actions.

"Captain Commander... I think I can enlighten all of you as I know what probably happened to Shiba-san, but I'd like to ask that you to stop Hitsugaya-kun from butchering me." Gin called out to Yamamoto in his sly voice.

The Captain Commander squinted his eyes and nodded.

"Well... it was around twenty years ago when... " Gin started and explained about Aizen's experiment with the piece of the Ancient's mask and about his involvement with Isshin's fight.

"... and then a girl came to help him, killing the hollow by herself... she was a Quincy and from what I know, her name was Masaki Kurosaki." Gin said and a sweat appeared on his forehead when Yamamoto released his reiatsu on him.

"Why haven't you said this sooner! Do you want to get prosecuted again?"

"Ah... but you never asked."

Not wanting to rile the old man further he continued.

"The 'Whitey' or as Kaname-san used to call that hollow infected the girl with his reiryoku and from what I know from Aizen, Urahara Kisuke was the one that helped to stabilize her. According to Aizen, it is most likely that Urahara used Shiba-san's shinigami power and connected his soul to the girl's, preventing her from undergoing hollowification, making Shiba-san loose his powers and live as a normal human."

Yamamoto widened his eyes along with most of the Captains.

"So... that makes Kurosaki Ichigo... son of the Captain of the Gotei 13 and a Quincy mother... "

"... and most likely, the inner hollow he possesses is the one he inherited from his mother." Gin finished.

"So that's why he's such a monster, he's basically a combination of every power." Sui-Fēng stated in disbelief.

"That's not all you simpletons!" Mayuri surprised them with an angry shout.

"Whatever do you mean, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Kyoraku asked calmly.

"Don't you realize? He's a human with shinigami soul, inner hollow and Quincy powers... making him a perfect hybrid. If he can combine these powers, he can easily achieve transcendence and becoming a being easily equal to the likes of the Soul King!" Mayuri replied excited.

"That's not good." Sui-Fēng said grimly.

"You said it, now that he knows that the Soul King is somehow connected to his mother's death and if he has enough power to rival him, what do you think he'll do?" Gin grinned at her, making Yamamoto's eyes widen.

"Wait a minute, Kurotsuchi-san... you said _'if he can combine'_... didn't he already combine them?" Komamura asked suddenly.

Mayuri just sneered.

"If he did, his reiatsu would be different. No, we know that he merged with his hollow side, which gave him quite a boost... and we also know that he created his sword from nothing... does that ring any bells?"

"You don't mean..." Ukitake turned to him with wide-eyes.

"Yes, I do. For those who didn't understand, it's most likely that Kurosaki Ichigo, until this day, wasn't even using his real shinigami powers."

...

"I think I do not follow, Captain." Toshiro said, making Mayuri clench his fists.

"Isn't it odd? He emerged from the Shattered Shaft Urahara Kiskue put him into with shinigami powers, while he was hollowifying. A human, with a inner hollow inside him, emerging with shinigami powers? His soul would have crumbled. I'm now only hypothesizing, but I think I know what happened. He didn't emerge with shinigami powers... It means that he created his sword using Quincy reishi manipulation. It means that the zanpaktou he was using till now wasn't even his real zanpaktou... it means that his quincy powers acted like an imposter, absorbing a portion of his shinigami powers and presenting them to him like it was a real thing. It means... that till this day, Kuorsaki Ichigo was using only a portion of his real power." He answered in anger. How he wanted Ichigo as a test subject!

...

Unohana cut through the deafening silence.

"And to think he was already so strong..." She stated with a glint in her eyes, making Byakuya back away from her a bit.

_'Captain Shiba may be alive... damn... if only I could somehow tell Matsumoto... and to think I was in Ichigo's house without seeing his father... now that I think of it, it's quite odd that every time anyone from Soul Society was there, Ichigo's dad was nowhere to be found... and how come Kuchiki-san never noticed it? She was, after all living with them for a few months... something's not right.' _Toshiro was thinking hard.

"So? What will we do, Yama-jii?" Kyoraku asked.

Captain Commander clenched his cane.

"There is only one thing I can do. All Captains, make preparations and be on high alert. There is a possibility that Kurosaki Ichigo may become our enemy. For now, do not tell this divisions as Kurosaki is highly famous person and it would only result in discord." He exclaimed and in weaker voice he continued.

"Personally, I don't want to see this to happen. Kurosaki holds great potential and not just in terms of strength and I'd be happier for him to be our ally. After Aizen, the Gotei 13 is weakened and facing an enemy of even higher caliber would just result in more deaths."

Kyoraku smiled a little under his hat.

_'Ichigo... you probably don't even know it, but during that short time you have been a shinigami you have already changed something that stood untouched for a millenia. You are slowly changing the Gotei 13, the minds and hearts of Captains and everyone around you. Even Yama-jii seems a bit changed and he is the most stubborn old man I have ever known. Don't let your anger, the urge for revenge to cloud your mind... the Soul Society needs a man like you.'_

The rest of the Captains sadly nodded. Almost none of them wanted this scenario. Some for personal reasons, some for official reasons, some because of the friendship, one for scientific urges and some were aware of the power the young substitute held.

Yamamoto pulled out a small note from his robe, wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and sighed.

_'And now this... if this is true... we will need Kurosaki even more than ever. I'm the strongest member of the Gotei 13 and yet even I am not confident to take on that man again...'_

"There is one more thing that needs to be discussed now." He continued, drawing the attention of the Captains back.

"It's about the conflict from one thousand years ago and the possibility that this conflict may happen again ... soon."

* * *

_With Ichigo_

Ichigo was currently slowly getting up, feeling a little bit dizzy.

**"Your eyes are finally open, huh? Took you long enough."** At the sound of unfamiliar voice, Ichigo's head snapped up, looking at the newcomer with wide eyes.

**"Hello, Ichigo. We finally meet. My name is Zangetsu... the real one this time."**

As the unknown voice trailed off, Ichigo took in the appearance of the man, standing in front of him on the edge of the skyscraper, slightly grinning.

_'He... he looks so familiar yet so alien.' _Ichigo thought instantly.

Zangetsu looked like a young man in his twenties, with short white hair, barely reaching his shoulders. He was clad in black shinigami robes, with a white outline on it and over that, he was wearing a red overcoat.

His face was the thing that shocked Ichigo a little.

_'It's... it's like a combination of Tensa Zangetsu and me... with Shirosaki's crazy grin.'_

**"Ah, I see that you are wondering why do I look like this." **Zangetsu stated, chuckling a bit.

"Well, yes and what's with the horns?" Ichigo pointed to two horns protruding from above Zangetsu's temples.

Knocking on them slightly, Zangetsu frowned.

"This... is something I got from your friend, Shirosaki. This white hair is on the other hand from Ywach." He touched his face and grinned again.

"And this face... you must be thinking 'he looks like Tensa Zangetsu'." Zangetsu chuckled again at Ichigo's raised eyebrow.

"It's because the Tensa Zangetsu you saw was the closest Ywach got to resembling me. In your previous 'bankai', Ywach's control over your shinigami power was on its weakest, thus his appearance was changing to look like me, your original source of shinigami powers."

Accepting the explanation, Ichigo sighed.

**"What?"**

"So Ywach is gone forever, huh?" Ichigo stated sadly.

**"Yes. You chose your shinigami powers to be the core so he's gone. I...don't think I can like him, even if what he did was because he was trying to protect you... on the other hand, I'm thankful to him. He guided you, molded you into a person you are today and I can say I'm proud to be wielded by you. You've proven yourself to him, to Shirosaki and you've proven yourself to me. That's why I can understand what you're feeling, so I will say one thing only." **Zangetsu flashed to Ichigo and lightly touched his chest, in the place where his heart was located.

At Ichigo's confused face, Zangetsu smiled.

**"Even if he's gone forever, his heart is still with you."**

Ichigo blinked as a lone tear was trying to escape from his eye.

"Thanks, Zangetsu."

His zanpaktou spirit nodded and flashed back to his previous location.

**"Now, Ichigo, you have to know something else. Wielding me, you will finally be able to use your full power. Every part of your soul is incorporated in my blade. You'll be still able to use your hollow powers like you did before. The Quincy side of you, that you inherited from your mother, will help you control the darkness in my sword. Her holy light will forever protect you. She was quite the woman and her blood runs in your veins strongly, making it little bit easier for you."** He exclaimed with a smirk.

"Meaning?"

**"Meaning that the Quincy in you is strong and with your hollow instincts, you will be able to learn the basic Quincy technique, the Blut, for which your mother was know, almost instantly. The rest of Quincy abilities... well... you are a shinigami, so I think that you don't need them. Even if you did, it wouldn't matter as you have no talent for reishi manipulation anyway." **Zangetsu almost laughed at Ichigo's offended expression.

After a few moments however, Ichigo sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right. But isn't Blut achieved by reishi manipulation?" He asked.

**"For Blut, you're using the reiryoku of your own body, sending it into your veins or arteries, depending on what you want to use, Blut Vene or Blut Arterie... you can trust my knowledge, as I got it from Ywach." **Zangetsu added, seeing the skeptic expression on Ichigo's face.

"Sounds doable even for me." Ichigo smirked along with his zanpaktou.

"So... what do I have to do to achieve Bankai?" Ichigo suddenly asked, making Zangetsu laugh.

**"Look at that. Not even a Shikai in his hands and he already asks about the Bankai." **He chuckled more as Ichigo flushed in embarrassment.

**"Ah, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Don't worry, Ichigo. It may seem stupid, it may seem unfair, but as I said, you have already proven yourself to me so there is no need for you to train in order to activate a bankai. I was watching you the whole time from the depths of your inner world and there is nothing more I could ask you to show me. Only thing I want in return is communication, trust and a promise to train hard." **

Ichigo opened his mouth for a moment, closing them slowly.

**"No need for thank you, Ichigo. I'm not just your zanpaktou, but I think you know it already." **Zangetsu smiled lightly as Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah... it's not blade and me... as the blade is me." He replied quietly, widening Zangetsu's smile with his words.

**"Exactly." **Zangetsu winked at him and in a burst of reiatsu, he revealed a sword behind him, burning with black flames.

"Is that...?" Ichigo asked amazed.

_'So powerful.' _He thought.

**"Yes, take it, Ichigo. Take it and be the one you strive to be, be the Protector!" **Zangetsu yelled and side-stepped Ichigo, who flashed to the sword.

As they were engulfed in an explosion of reiatsu and Ichigo was slowly disappearing from his inner world, he heard Zangetsu's words.

**"Oh, and one more thing, Ichigo. Do me a favor and find an Asauchi as my blade can be broken while you're not using an actual sword, but a one created by instant reishi manipulation, done by Ywach."**

_'Eh?' _Ichigo recoiled and widened his eyes.

_'I'm not using a real sword?'_

* * *

_With Ichigo (Real World)_

"Shouldn't he be awake by now?" Ryūken asked Urahara, while Isshin kneeled next to unconscious Ichigo, poking him in the head with his finger.

"His zanpaktou probably wanted to talk to hi-" Urahara widened his eyes, along with Isshin and Ryūken when a burst of reiatsu engulfed Ichigo and pressed on them heavily.

_'They didn't joke about it. He really is a reiatsu-monster.' Ryūken_ thought in alarm as his breathing was getting heavy.

Straining their muscles, the trio jumped away from Ichigo.

"So Zangetsu finally let him take the blade!" Urahara yelled to Isshin as the reiatsu outburst was accompanied by a loud noise.

"To think that this is his reiatsu only in Shikai... damn, I fathered one crazy kid!" Isshin replied rather satisfied with himself, earning a dirty look from Ryūken.

After a few more moments, the reiatsu was getting even stronger, giving them no other option but to kneel.

"If this won't stop, he will suffocate us with reiatsu alone!" Ryūken yelled, grimacing at Isshin, who only shrugged nonchalantly.

When the pressure was slowly becoming unbearable, it suddenly vanished, leaving the trio floored.

"What the..?" Isshin asked as they noticed that Ichigo started to move.

With a hand on his head, Ichigo sighed.

"Well... that was interesting." He commented and raised his head to see his father and the others in small distance.

"Eh... something wrong?" Ichigo asked them confused.

"Kurosaki... are you okay?" Ryūken asked tentatively.

Ichigo flexed his hands and slowly got up.

"Yeah, sure, I feel great, why?"

"It's just that we cannot feel any reiatsu from you." Isshin replied with a frown.

_'Huh?'_ Ichigo was taken aback by that statement.

"I think I know what happened." Urahara jumped into conversation.

"Since Kurosaki-san is a perfect, natural hybrid entity, that incorporates all of the spiritual powers inside of him, he simply reached a whole new level of existence. He became a true Transcendental, living in a plane of existence higher then we are. Same thing happened with Aizen, remember? But the Hogyoku made him artificial and a lot weaker form of a transcendental being, unlike Kurosaki-san." He explained and watched as lightbulbs lightened up above their heads.

"Cool." Ichigo remarked with a grin.

"So, let us see the sword." Isshin said excited.

Chuckling slightly, Ichigo pulled out Zangetsu from his back and widened his eyes.

Once again, the sword changed his form.

It was now a full sword, with an ornamented hilt, with a kanji for darkness engraved on it. The blade was little bit longer and thinner than before, without curves.

One thing that surprised Ichigo was that the blade changed its colour.

Now, it was pure and bright white, mildly surrounded with black flames.

"Niiiice one, son." Isshin clapped Ichigo on his shoulders, but gulped when Ichigo turned to him.

"Dad... I'm still mad at you... I get why you didn't tell me about my Mum and about the rest... but... " He grinned deviously.

"...I think that you should run." He finished and kicked him in the guts, sending him flying.

"Now... let's have some... _'fun'_." Ichigo flashed to where his father landed with his sword raised high.

"Oh boy..." Urahara gulped and pitied his friend.

He knew first-hand how frightening Ichigo could be when angry.

...

_15 minutes later_

"I yield! I yield!" Isshin screamed as his hand were pressed against his back, courtesy of Ichigo, sitting on him and holding Zangetsu close to his crotch.

Ichigo grinned and released his father.

_'Damn, he really learns fast. Even with my own Shikai I was getting overwhelmed and I have a lot more experience than him...and he's not even winded.' _Isshin though as me rubbed his sore hands, sweating profusely.

Urahara, who was watching the whole fight was busy making calculations in his mind, while Ryūken was sitting on the floor with uninterested look on his face.

"Next time, use your own chamber for a brawl." He stated and slowly stood up.

"Ah, sorry about that." Ichigo apologized with nervous smile.

Ryūken only waved his hand.

"It's okay this time. After all I got to see Isshin getting his ass handed to him." Isshin looked at him in horror as Ryūken corrected his glasses with an amused expression and a small smirk.

"What now, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked from the back.

Ichigo looked at his zanpaktou and sighed.

"I... don't know. It's a little bit too much for me to handle just like that... I can't forgive the Soul King... but I need to know if he did it alone, or if the rest of the Gotei 13 knew about it. Surely they must have asked themselves why would he would give that kind of order... I don't want to jump to conclusions and attack my friends for something they didn't even know about... that's the Gotei 13's style, the Central 46's style... not mine. And I will not help Ywach either... he sounds like someone who should visit a doctor, not someone who's suited to be a King... but the Ancient's story hit me. I can understand his pain as what that man did to him was unforgivable... but even if I sympathized with him, he is someone, who wants Ywach to win... I think need more time to process this..." He replied, still looking at his sword, missing the proud looks on Isshin's and Urahara's faces.

_**"Ichigo, ask them to leave you in here alone for a while. There is something I want to teach you."**_Zangetsu called out to him.

Ichigo raised his head and looked at Ryūken.

"I apologize for this Ryūken-san, but do you think you could let me stay here for a moment, alone? Zangetsu says he wants to teach me something."

The trio raised their eyebrows and Ryūken sighed.

"Fine, but don't destroy anything." He said and after they grabbed their things, they left the chamber, leaving Ichigo alone.

"Okay, we're alone. What is it, Zangetsu?"

With an amused chuckle, Zangetsu materialized and sent a wink at him.

_**"**_**Ichigo... enter your bankai."**Ichigo raised his eyebrows but did as told.

He focused on his spiritual energy and yelled.

"Ban-kai!"

It was only thanks to the special material, the walls were made from, that the chamber didn't explode from all of the reiatsu that exploded from Ichigo. It was still a reiatsu that couldn't be felt by ordinary beings, but it was still a reiatsu... and one person could feel it.

Ichigo gasped as he felt the increase in his reiatsu levels.

"Whoa."

He gasped the second time when he looked at his blade.

His bankai didn't quite change its form, unlike his Shikai. It was still a small blade, in appearance similar to a basic katana, but the rest was changed.

Like the Shikai, the blade was now completely white, surrounded by black flames, and the hilt changed.

There was no kanji for Darkness on it... instead there was a kanji for Holy Light engraved on it, slightly shining.

"Aw yeah, that's even cooler than the shikai." Ichigo grinned and lightly slashed at the air.

His eyes almost bulged out, when the pure pressure from his swing stretched the walls of the chamber to their limits, creating small cracks in it.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Ichigo gasped and rather carefully let his blade to hang loosely at his side.

**"As you can see, your destructive potential in bankai is quite amazing, so you should restrain from using your full power too much. Like Ywach told you. In the past you used to depend on your bankai too much, when in reality, it should be your last ace."** Zangetsu stated.

"No shit, if I used this against Grimmjow for example, I would slaughter him." Ichigo shook his head and then he widened his eyes.

"Whaaaa, wait a fucking minute... why are you still here, Zangetsu? I thought my bankai is Tensa Zangetsu?"

Zangetsu smirked.

**"Yes, my bankai is Tensa Zangetsu but there are no two forms of zanpaktou spirit, Ichigo. No shinigami has it. You were different only because of Ywach as his appearance showed the level of control he had."**

"Oh... right." Ichigo mumbled slightly surprised.

**"Okay, don't stay too long in bankai as you need to slowly get used to this much reiatsu. For now, I will teach you one new ability of my blade. You can use those from shikai even in bankai, don't forget. Now, for the new ability. It's called Hijiriru no Kusari, the Chain of Holy Light. This ability is something that uses your Quincy part. As the name suggests, it creates a chain, made from holy light that can be used as a whip, or you can bind your enemy with it. Concentrate and usher the words."**

With an excited expression, Ichigo held out his sword.

"Hijiriru no Kusari!" He yelled and to his surprise a thick chain emerged from his blade and fell on the floor.

"Uhm? Is this supposed to happen?" He asked his zanpaktou dumbly.

**"You're supposed to grab the chain with your other hand. Don't you think that it would be impractical if the chain was still connected with the blade?"**Zangetsu replied with a facepalm.

"Oh... I see." Ichigo mumbled and grabbed the chain.

"It's light... I was expecting it to be heavier."

**"It's because you need to be able to use it effortlessly. Now, it would be pretty weird if it was only a simple chain so it has special properties. If you confine a hollow with it, the holy light of the chain will immediately start to purify the hollow, disintegrating it slowly... depending on the strength of the hollow... and before you ask... since it is an ability of a zanpaktou, your holy light won't completely destroy the hollow as Quincy usually do. It will purify him**_**."**_ Zangetsu explained Ichigo, who was looking at it in awe.

"Sweet."

**"It also has a second ability. If you will it, you can send a holy wave through the chain, which has the similar effect as what in human world is called an electricity. As your black flames burns the evil with the pain of their darkness, the holy light electrifies it with its righteousness."**

Ichigo looked over the chain and whipped it casually, sending his reiryoku through it, creating small sparks at its end.

"So... the Darkness and the Holy Light. Quite the opposites huh?" Ichigo wondered.

**"Yes... like a Yin and a Yang, your abilities are like two sides of a coin. The darkness of your shinigami side and the light of your Quincy side... the light of your mother.**_**"**_Zangetsu smiled when Ichigo closed his eyes and whispered.

"Thank you... Mum."

**End of Chapter 12.**

**btw: Ywach is Juha Bach for those who are not sure. FanFiction lists him under JuhaBach, but Ywach is the supposed and right pronunciation.**


	13. Chapter 13: Quincy archer is your friend

**Hey guys, thank you all for reviews. (really, when I read them, I smile the whole time)**

**Te-nellis : that's an option too... but don't worry, I will not spoil further, but there will be deaths on the shinigami side and not just one.**

**Awesomeness4286 : yes, I agree that dual wielding is kind of badass, but it happened in the cannon mainly because Ichigo didn't want to say farewell to Ywach (fake Zangetsu) and wanted to keep him as something separate from his real Zangetsu. In my story, Ichigo accepts the fact that Ywach is a part of his zanpaktou, making him part of one blade... I hope you can understand this :D**

**Sami217: is retsu going to be paired with Ichigo? ... weeell, I originally planned her to be from the beginning, but as story went, it became harder to pair her with him... I will give final statement about this topic in upcoming chapters ( maybe chapter 14 or 15 if everything goes as planned)**

**Mugetsudude: Ichigo will tell Kukkaku that soon... but no. I decided that she will not be in harem, but she'll end up with someone... and you would never guess with whom :D**

**Akuma-Heika : ... maan, those are some lengthy reviews... I like it ;) I can't help it, but react to all of your reviews. I can't react to everything though, it would take a whole chapter to do that.  
Most of the things from chapter 1 were probably answered...but**

**'reiatsu like hell' ... that was meant only to describe the catastrophic feel of it. No hell powers for now.  
producing a Cero ... Ichigo never did it before, that's why Aizenwas surprised  
Hogyoku choosing Ichigo ... as I said in later chapter, when Ichigo merged with Shirosaki, it awoke the real Zangetsu (different than in canon) and so on some level, Ichigo was 'made up' with every kind of power – Quincy, shinigami, hollow and human ... yes, quincy side was awakened fully only in this chapter, but Hogyoku could feel it in his soul, that's why it also knew that Ichigo's potential is higher than Aizen's. All the while Aizen's evolutions stopped when he was in that form, as his soul couldn't undergo another one. (I'll explain it further in later chapters so this is probably not coherent)  
high-speed-regeneration ... no, every Espada had it, but on different levels. Ulq could regenerate anything, the rest could heal only lesser wounds. (Ulq stated himself that his HSR was the best, but not that he was the only one with it.)  
Quincy heritage in chapter 4 ... yay! Someone noticed! :D ... yes, Ichigo didn't put two and two together :D  
not the brightest person ... self-criticism at its best :D  
activation phrase ... yes, it was supposed to be ironic ;)  
ghost rider ... now that you're saying that... it is similar, but trust me, I never even thought about Ghost rider when thinking about Ichigo's powers... weird coincidence :D  
permanently active shikai... he can 'seal' the blade into its incomplete shikai (in that state, he can use Getsuga, but not darkness)  
Blut... I'm simply under the impression that Uryuu didn't learn it, because he didn't know something like that exists. It's a stretch, but Soken died when Uryuu was still a kid, so he wouldn't tell him and Ryuken didn't want for Uryuu to become a Quincy.  
Asauchi... no, Ichigo will not dual wield.  
Saigo... don't know right now.  
I know I have a lot of grammatical mistakes in the earlier chapters, so it's possible I'll edit them when I'll have the time.**

**Well, that's all for the reviews , enjoy the new chapter ;)**

**Credits for doing a beta on this chapter goes to Liquid Fire KAN. Thank you very much.**

**Chapter 13 – Quincy archer is your friend (Red Inferno vs Holy Darkness)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Normal speech"

'_Inner speech/thoughts'_

**'Inner hollow/Zanpaktou speech'**

**xxx**

Ichigo marvelled at his new Bankai for a while longer, before sealing the Zanpaktou back to its original cleaver-like state. His Quincy spirit had once called it an incomplete Shikai.

Looking around, consciously overlooking some cracks which had appeared in the walls as a result of swinging his bankai blade too much (_'Ahaha, I hope Ryuken-san won't notice'_), he put his sword on his back and emerged from the hidden chamber.

In surprise, he blinked at the darkness.

It was still late at night. It puzzled him. He had a feeling that the talk with the trio had taken longer. Seemingly, he was wrong.

Closing the doors behind him, he almost jumped at the sudden loud voice.

"Kurosaki? What are you doing here?"

Ichigo turned around, sweating nervously.

"Oh, Uryuu, didn't think I'd come across you tonight."

The Quincy archer only frowned for a while, but then widened his eyes.

"Wait a minute... are you really Kurosaki?" He slowly took a defensive stance, startling Ichigo.

"Of course I am. Who else would I be? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Uryuu eyed him suspiciously, but didn't relinquish the bow he formed a moment ago.

"If you're really Kurosaki, why do I feel no Reiatsu coming from you?"

The confusion left Ichigo - all was clear. He almost wanted to facepalm.

"Right. Sorry about that but from today, nobody can feel my reiatsu."

Looking doubtfully at him, Uryuu motioned him to continue.

"Well, this will probably surprise you and it's going to be a long story, so let's walk." Ichigo proposed, casually walking away.

With a small sigh, Uryuu followed him.

"So?"

Ichigo glanced at him.

_'Well, I don't want everyone to know my secrets… But if I can't trust Uryuu, I can't trust anybody.'_

"I'll be blunt, Uryuu. I was talking with your father, my father and Urahara in that chamber."

Uryuu stopped and stared at him.

"My father?"

Ichigo nodded and waited patiently until his friend resumed following him.

"It's quite simple... I think that by now you know that my dad is a Shinigami and that's why I'm a one too."

Uryuu nodded.

"I had my suspicions."

"Funny you didn't share them with me..." Ichigo pouted at Uryuu, who only pushed his glasses up with his index finger in response.

"Well, I thought that you'd be smart enough to figure it out yourself."

Ichigo only shook his head.

_'Freaking know-it-all...'_

"Right... but that's not all... turns out that my mother was not normal either… she was a Quincy, Uryuu."

...

Ichigo counted a few seconds, before the reveal hit the Quincy walking next to him.

It took him five seconds, but when it did hit him, Uryuu slowly turned to him, eyes bulging out.

"Say what?"

If it wasn't a serious conversation, Ichigo might have even laughed at his expression.

But he didn't. Instead, he took a deep breath and without further ado, explained what he had learned from his father, from Uryuu's father and from Urahara.

After he finished he gauged Uryuu's expression. The Quincy seemed to be digesting the information far too well - too calmly. "Uryuu, you alright?" He asked carefully.

His friend nodded curtly.

"Yes... I think... it's just weird. We actually could have been something like brothers when we were younger if your Quincy side awoke first... And I didn't know that your mother died the same day mine fell into a coma. I mean, I knew that she died, but I didn't know that their deaths were connected."

Ichigo frowned at him.

It was evident to Ichigo that Uryuu was a little shaken as he never spoke so many words at length before.

_'He must have been lonely as a kid. We both lost our mums, but I had Yuzu and Karin. And most of the time Dad was with us… But he didn't have any sibling and his father was distant. The only one he had was his grandfather… But even he died soon after that.'_Ichigo wiped the sad expression off his face and glanced at Uryuu.

Grabbing his shoulder and lightly shaking him, Ichigo grinned at him.

"Don't sweat it that much, we're friend now and that's what matters, right? And you can't even protest that a Shinigami can't be your friend, since I'm technically a part Quincy."

Uryuu snorted and shook his head. "I guess I can't... so I can't feel your reiatsu because you're a higher being?" He snorted again.

"Well, if you don't mind, you can call me a God, since I'm that perfect." Ichigo grinned, puffing his chest outwards.

...

"Right…" Uryuu replied slightly annoyed and sweat-dropping a little at his friend's nonchalance. Sometimes Ichigo was incredibly strange. It baffled him.

Nonetheless, the two walked a while longer in comfortable silence taking care to not wander far from Urahara's shop, before Uryuu stopped and turned to Ichigo with serious expression.

"What are you going to do about the Soul King and Soul Society? Don't you think that they may have heard about it from that Captain that found you in Hueco Mundo along with Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san? What if they'll see you as a threat now, thinking that you may turn on them?"

Ichigo sighed grimly. "I thought about that possibility... but frankly? I don't trust the Soul King. There are only a few people in Soul Society, in Gotei Thirteen who, at least I hope, I can fully trust. They won't go against orders, but I think that they would be able to persuade the old man to not attack and kill me on the spot at the very least. I don't want to fight them... But if I have to, I'll defend myself and my friends with everything I have."

His response earned a ghostly smile from Uryuu's lips.

"That's what I expected... but you still didn't say what you'll do about the Soul King."

Frowning deeply, Ichigo turned away.

"I didn't say anything, because I don't know myself... Dad wants me to live with it... It's easier to do it when I think about it… That there's a huge chance that even if the Shinigami came to rescue my mother and me… they would have been too late. Thinking like that... I could probably find a way how to live with it… but even if I could... I really want to talk to Soul King, face to face. It'll be that moment that will decide my future actions..." He answered truthfully and there was a moment of silence.

Then, Uryuu smirked uncharacteristically at him. "Seems like you matured a bit, Kurosaki. In the past, you'd storm the Soul Society, getting to Soul King immediately after learning the truth."

Ichigo looked at him offended.

"Would not!"

Seeing the amused look in Uryuu's eyes, he sighed.

"Fine, I probably would."

Nodding at him with satisfied smirk, Uryuu was about to leave, when Ichigo's voice stopped him.

"However, saying that, I can't forgive Ywach. Unlike Soul King, his actions directly affected my mom's death. If he didn't take away her powers, she would have defeated the Grand Fisher easily, even without the support of shinigami. What about you? I know that you have somewhat forgiven the shinigami for the death of your grandfather... but what about Ywach?"

Turning slowly to face his friend again, Uryuu clenched his fists.

"I'd really like to tell you that it's none of your business... but you trusted me enough and told me about your mother, so I'll answer."

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Uryuu shoved his glasses up against his face roughly and began:

"There isn't much to tell. Yes, I forgave the Shinigami. My grandfather was already old and frail and even if the Shinigami saved him, I don't think he would be alive at this point. He was constantly ill. And I'm not naive enough to delude myself into thinking that he would have lived more than two years after the incident. Of course, for the younger me it would change many things, but I'm older and wiser now. His last wish was for Shinigami and Quincy to cooperate and that's what I'm going to do, so I hold no grudge against Shinigami... not counting that clown-like Captain. Concerning Ywach, he may be the King of Quincy, our original predecessor, but his way of thinking is thousand years old. When the time comes and he'll be back, I will side with you, Kurosaki. Not Soul Society or the Shinigami, but you. Whatever your decision is, I'll stick with you, as you are the closest thing to family I currently have, besides my father. Our fates are connected by our source of power, our mothers and our future that could convince the Soul Society, that not every Quincy is deranged and a threat."

And before either could speak, or Uryuu could even acknowledge the surprised expression on Ichigo's face, Uryuu used Hirenkyaku and flashed away. A response was unnecessary. Ichigo stared at the empty space stunned for a while before finally swallowing and chuckling. _'Uryuu, you... '_

"Bastard... and you told me that I matured. Next to you I'm still a hormonal teenager..." He mumbled with a smile and turned to the direction of Urahara's shop.

* * *

"And that's it, Yoruichi." Urahara finished with a busted lip.

When he returned from the conversation he, Isshin and Ryuken had with Ichigo, Yoruichi jumped at him, punching him in the face and demanding an explanation for keeping secrets from her.

Said dark-skinned shinigami was still glaring daggers at the shopkeeper, refusing to forgive him just yet.

"I never would have thought that you'd keep so many secrets even from me, Kisuke. We were childhood friends for god's sake!"

Urahara only grabbed his hat that was previously knocked from his head, and shook his head.

"I never thought I'd do that either, Yoruichi. But Isshin asked me to keep my mouth shut... and it was the least I could do. You know yourself from your time in Second Division that some secrets must be kept even from your closest ones."

Growling quietly, Yoruichi turned away.

"Fine but you still could have told me about that Quincy legend. I read about Ywach in Seiretei library when I was bored, but I never knew how he looked... I could have told Ichigo about his Quincy side when he was training for his bankai with me."

Urahara looked at her sternly.

"And what would that do, Yoruichi? Would that help him? Don't you think it would only shatter his resolve, his concentration. He wouldn't have been able to save Kuchiki-san, he wouldn't have been able to do his Vizard training... everything could have ... no, everything would have turned out worse… A lot worse than it did. After so many months, he finally has a little bit of peace, Yoruichi. Knowing the truth sooner would have only harmed him. And I was going to tell you about the legend soon enough." He stated and watched her scrunching her nose.

She glared at him for few more moments, before succumbing to the truth.

"Yeah... I guess you're right... but I still don't like it. And if I knew about that legend, I wouldn't have just lazed around for a century. Instead I would've trained for long hours in order to ensure victory. Commander is too old and I don't think he could survive another confrontation with Ywach. Soul Society would not survive either."

Urahara sighed and cracked his neck.

"Maybe you will and maybe you won't trust me on this… but I think that Captain Commander is still strong enough. Not to mention that Kurosaki-san is, at his current level, even stronger than him now, most likely."

Yoruichi's glare returned, sending shivers down Urahara's spine.

"Kisuke! He's only a boy goddamnit and not a soldier of Gotei 13. They… we," she added as an afterthought, "should be able to solve our own problems. What happened with Aizen? Are we really so weak that we need to rely on strength of one boy, who still has his own life here!?"

Despite the shiver, Urahara managed to smirk.

"Well, I can understand your frustration, Yoruichi. You want to protect the one you l-" He was interrupted by new voice from behind the doors.

"Oi, Urahara-san, I'm here!" Ichigo yelled when he couldn't find the shopkeeper.

He probably saved Urahara's life, because a mildly blushing Yoruichi just wanted to activate her Shunko and beat the crap out of him, before he could finish that sentence.

"Ahahah, Kurosaki-saaan… in here." Urahara quickly called out to him, gulping uncomfortably as Yoruichi settled on smothering him with increasingly intense waves of Reiatsu.

"Yo, what are you..." Ichigo opened the doors and trailed off when he found a blushing Yoruichi trying to kill Urahara with her eyes.

"Uhm... should I... should I come back later?" Ichigo asked sheepishly.

"No, your timing is perfect. I was just explaining to Yoruichi that she won't be able to sense your Reiatsu anymore." Urahara replied quickly before his predicament could take a turn for the worse.

Ichigo, oblivious, replied with a simple: "Oh... okay."

"So, what do you want to do, Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked, finally turning her head away from Urahara.

"I'll go to Soul Society. I have some questions and it'd be best if I showed, that for now, I still consider them my allies." He answered resolutely.

_'For now?'_ Yoruichi thought worriedly.

"Okay, I'll go with you." She said it with a finality in which was implied that there would be no arguing with her. She was going. So Ichigo only nodded with a small smile.

"Before you do, Kurosaki-san, there is something I want to try. Let's go to the training ground." Urahara spoke and motioned them to go down.

After they arrived, he put Ichigo to the center of the huge room and told him to stay still.

"Okay, Urahara-san, tell me what is it that you want to do?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

Without missing a beat, Urahara retorted.

"I want you to try and counter my shikai ability with your hands only."

"What?" Yoruichi asked angrily.

Ichigo blinked at the scientist waiting for more of a elaboration.

"It's quite simple, actually. You are now a perfect hybrid. A transcendental being. I think that it would be best if we tried to figure out, if you can still be harmed by simple attacks. It's better to try this now, when there's no actual danger, rather then finding out in a battle." Urahara clarified.

"Really?" Ichigo asked him.

"Yes, it's possible that now that you are a higher-dimensional being, attacks of a normal person are ineffective." Urahara answered.

Ichigo shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. I'm asking if that's the real reason. Isn't it because you want to determine if there's a way of stopping me if I decide to go against Soul Society?"

Yoruichi's head snapped to Urahara with wide eyes.

_'Kisuke... you better not lie... but Ichigo, that was quite perceptive of you.'_

With an undetectable smile, Urahara replied.

"Yes, that too."

Ichigo recoiled, making Urahara chuckle a bit.

"Don't be surprised by my honest reply, Kurosaki-san. I promised you that I'd lie to you no more."

Ichigo chuckled back, relaxing. "I guess… But I honestly thought you were only saying it."

In response, Urahara took out his Zanpakutou and an amused expression settled on his face.

"You'll see that I'm a man of many surprises, Kurosaki-san. Awaken, Benihime!" Ichigo only sweat-dropped at him.

"Like I didn't know that already." Ichigo murmured quietly.

"Okay Kurosaki-san. I'll try the ability that's used only as an attack. For now, I'll go with the third of its maximum power for starter." Urahara announced and focused his reiatsu. Ichigo nodded nervously.

"Nake, Benihime." Urahara exclaimed and sent a bright red energy blast at Ichigo, who waited until last second and slapped the attack away, sending it crashing into the nearby boulders.

"You okay, Ichigo?" Yoruichi yelled at him.

"Yeah, I didn't even feel it." Ichigo replied with amazed expression.

_'Wow, I didn't think I'd get this strong.'_ Ichigo wondered.

"Half of the maximum power, Kurosaki-san." Urahara announced.

"Nake, Benihime." A slightly bigger blast was sent at Ichigo, who again slapped the attack away.

Ichigo grinned at Urahara, who had only slightly surprised look.

"Well then… how interesting…? Maximum power, Kurosaki-san, get ready." Urahara announced for the third time and deeply focused on his Reiryoku. A small bead of sweat glistened on Yoruichi's forehead.

_'Kisuke... you've surpassed me in Reiatsu again… you weasel!' _Yoruichi pouted childishly.

"Nake, Benihime!" Urahara shouted and sent a powerful attack at Ichigo, who widened his eyes.

_'This is on another level from the previous, it's almost comparable to my shikai Getsuga after I merged with Shirosaki... Urahara-san, you're a monster yourself.'_ Ichigo thought to himself stupefied for a moment before regaining his composure. Quickly shaking his head, Ichigo prepared to block the strike.

When it collided with his hand, it was a struggle not to be thrown back by its force. It was with slight difficulty that he managed to redirect the blast elsewhere.

When smoke from the explosion cleared, Ichigo emerged from it with raised eyebrows.

"So, how was it, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked as soon as he saw him.

"You're a beast, Urahara-san." Ichigo replied and showed him his still smoking hands. Tiny scratches speckled his forearms.

Urahara choked a little at that sight.

"You're saying I am a beast? That was my most powerful attack in shikai and it barely grazed you, Kurosaki-san." He managed to said through coughs, while Yoruichi was staring at Ichigo in shock.

_'Damn...'_ She thought in amazement.

"It was still only your shikai, Urahara-san. I think that if you used your bankai, you could deal a good injury. Besides, something tells me that Ywach is stronger than you, so I need to be ready." Ichigo retorted.

Urahara waved his hand.

"As, but there you're wrong. My bankai is... unique and believe me when I'll tell you that it would most likely wouldn't work on you." He stated, smiling mysteriously.

"Well, on the other hand, you still haven't used your Blut, so I think that you'll be fine, Kurosaki-san." He added after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, I got to learn how to use it as soon as I can. As my zanpakutou said to me: _'I'm the type that rushes into dangerous situations without thinking.'_More defensive power is always welcomed." Ichigo muttered begrudgingly.

"That's putting it lightly." Yoruichi snorted sardonically, making Ichigo look at her annoyed.

"What? It's true." She blurted, effectively shutting him up.

"Uhm... so... I should open the Senkaimon?" Urahara glanced at them amusedly.

With a defeated expression, Ichigo nodded but before he opened the gate, Urahara caught himself and smiled apologetically.

"One more moment, Kurosaki-san. I almost forgot that I wanted to try one more thing."

"And that would be..." Ichigo inquired with a sigh.

"Kido." Urahara replied shortly and waited until Ichigo begrudgingly walked a small distance away.

Tessai appeared from apparently nowhere.

"Boss." He nodded to Urahara who turned to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki-san... this time there is fifty-fifty chance that either you deflect the Kido, or you'll be seriously harmed, so I called Tessai. Don't worry, even if you're injured, he'll fix you up quickly." Urahara called out to a grimacing Ichigo.

"Gee, thanks for reassurance."

Urahara only smirked and focused his reiatsu.

"I'll try first without chanting. Hado Number Ninety, Kurohitsugi!" He exclaimed and in a matter of a second, black box surrounded Ichigo, hiding him from the sight.

When it dawned on Yoruichi what Kido was Urahara using, she was a little too late. Still, she flashed over to him and punched him directly into jaw, sending him flying into Tessai.

"Are you out of your mind, Kisuke? That Kido could kill him!" She yelled furiously.

With slightly bleeding mouth, Urahara slowly got up, keeping his hands in front of him, trying to cover himself from possible onslaught.

"Yo-yoruichi-san... you know that I wouldn't do it if I wasn't convinced about the results." He grunted in pain, massaging his jaw.

"You just said it was fifty-fifty chance you idiot."

Rolling his eyes, Urahara grabbed his hat.

"Oh come on, like you don't know me. I was just trying to scare him."

"If that's true, why is Tessai here?" She pointed at the Kido master in the back, still looking suspiciously at the shopkeeper.

This time Urahara only gaped like a fish, trying to come up with something to say in his defence.

"Kisuke..." Yoruichi growled and slowly walked to him, when the black box of reiatsu behind them cracked and after that shattered, revealing unharmed Ichigo with a thoughtful expression.

"That was weird." He noted quietly and looked up to see stunned Yoruichi with her raised fist at Urahara, who was covering behind her, looking satisfied.

"Uhm... did I miss something?" Ichigo raised his eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

Urahara instantly jumped away from Yoruichi, grinning widely.

"See? He's just fine, just like I thought he would be."

Yoruichi looked like she wanted to say something, but she settled for a sigh.

"Now, Kurosaki-san, I see that you are completely unharmed, so we can try the same thing with full incantation, what do you say?" Urahara asked jovially.

"You're going to-"

"Sure." Ichigo's response cut off Yoruichi's angry snare, making her look at the substitute like he had two heads.

"Are you insane? It's Hado Number Ninety for a reason. You saw how Komamura looked after Aizen used it on him without even using incantation!" She snapped at him, trying to make him see reason.

He only squeezed her shoulder with a small grin.

"I'm happy that you're worried about me, but I agree with what Urahara-san said at the beginning. It's best to be sure about this sooner than too late." Yoruichi turned away, feeling blood rush to her cheeks and weakly nodded.

When he got into position, Urahara started to build up his reiatsu again.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil fort and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado Number Ninety, Kurohitsugi!" Urahara chanted and a black box of reiatsu, almost twice the size of the previous one appeared, slowly surrounding Ichigo.

Yoruichi bit her lip in nervousness and waited.

After few seconds, the box shattered. Once again, Ichigo had successfully smashed the Hado with his hands.

The Goddess of Flash breathed heavily and flashed to Ichigo, smiling a little. She didn't notice Urahara's bewildered look as he glanced at equally surprised Tessai.

"I'm glad that you're okay, but I still think it was pointlessly risky idea." Yoruichi said and whacked Ichigo's head.

Before he could retort, Urahara called out to him.

"Well, Kurosaki-san, I have to admit, I'm at loss of words. It seems that Kido, that are purely Shinigami art, are completely useless against you however, a zanpakuto's special abilities can affect you, if enough power is used... odd." Urahara stated while walking towards the duo.

Ichigo looked at him puzzled.

"Isn't that kind of illogical? I mean, both things use your reiryoku."

Urahara slowly shook his head.

"Well... that is debatable... Kido uses only your reiryoku, while special abilities of your blade uses your own reiryoku together with the reiryoku of your zanpakutou. On the other hand, a zanpakutou spirit is born from your soul and has similar energy... well, it definitely is interesting. I'll look into it." He explained, deep in thoughts.

"But, for now, I'll open the Senkaimon for you." Ichigo turned around, still confused and tried to grasp what was told to him.

His mood was lifted when a small black cat jumped at his shoulders.

"What? Too lazy to run on your own feet?" He asked with a smirk.

The cat only licked his neck, making him jump in surprise and grinned at him.

"Maybe I like riding you." Yoruichi said innocently and watched as the orange-haired shinigami became beet red.

"Pervert." She added and bursted in cat-like laugh when smoke bursted from Ichigo's ears.

"Take care, Kurosaki-san." Urahara waved at him, barely containing his own laughter and closed the Senkaimon after them.

After that, he chuckled for a while, tears streaming down his face before coming to his senses. _'Now then… let's run some tests.'_

* * *

During the journey through the Senkaimon, Ichigo kept blushing a little, still trying to shake the picture of Yoruichi riding him, but to no avail.

The devilish cat even kept licking his neck from time to time, always disrupting his concentration.

When he emerged in Soul Society, he couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Dammit Yoruichi-san! What are you doing?" He yelled at her and scratched his neck, her tongue was tickling him.

"Oh come on, it's not like I'm biting you." She protested in an exaggerated voice.

Seeing that he was fighting a losing battle, he settled for a long and deep sigh.

"So, where to now?" Yoruichi asked.

Ichigo looked around, thinking about it.

"Well, it seems like even the Soul Society's alarms can't pick on my reiatsu, so they don't know that I'm here yet. I want to visit Vizards, it's been almost a week since my last visit."

Yoruichi changed her position from his left shoulder to his right, wrapping her tail around the cloth that kept Zangetsu at his back.

"Hate to break it to you, Ichigo, but don't you think that they'll spot you right away? Wouldn't it be better to go straight to the First Division so that you could explain the situation?" She questioned his course of action.

Ichigo only snorted.

"Yeah, because I'm so into rules or into 'what should be done'. They can wait a few more minutes. If they can't, it just shows the level of trust they have in me." He stated and started to slowly walk towards the back of the 4th Division, where Vizards should have been.

Strangely, the first time he encountered someone through the course of his journey was when he entered the Fourth Division main building. Strolling through the hall, he noticed Lieutenant, Isane, furiously digging through a pile of paperwork.

"Hello, Isane-san, are the Vizards still around... are you okay?" He asked when at the noise of his voice she jumped in air, scattering the papers all around her.

"Ku-ku-kurosaki-san? Oh god, you scared me! I haven't noticed you." She yelped and blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry about that, I forgot to alert you with my reiatsu." He scratched his head nervously.

Looking around to see paperwork spread on the ground, he knelt and started to gather the papers.

"Here, sorry about scaring you." He handed her the files, which she shyly took, staring at the floor.

"The Vizards are still in the back of the barracks." She said quietly and put her papers back on the table.

When Ichigo turned to leave, she stopped him with a question.

"Uhm, Kurosaki-san... Captain Unohana mentioned that you were able to learn the basics of healing..." She started and Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, but truly only basics, it's really hard to be able to concentrate like you do." He replied, praising her a little.

She offered him a small smile.

"Thank you. It's just that Captain told me, that if you stopped by and wanted to learn more while she isn't available, that I should help you to try and improve yourself... so... when you want to learn more, I'm here most of the time." She mumbled and turned away, beet red.

"Uhm... o-okay. When I'll have the time I'll stop by... " Surprised Ichigo managed to say, when an impatient Yoruichi bit him lightly on the neck, reminding him to go.

"Oh, right, I have to go. See you later, Isane-san." He nodded shortly to her and hurried away.

She weakly waved to him.

_'I have to tell Captain that I can't wear it all the time... it's too much.' _Isane thought with flushed cheeks and reached to her crotch to adjust a small and lightly vibrating accessory.

* * *

"Oi, baldy, are you really... really sure that you want to do it?" Hiyori asked Shinji with a deep frown on her face.

Shinji, relaxing comfortably on the armchair, sprawled across it, yawned and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I have too much free time either way, so I'll at least have somethin' to do. Not to mention that Aizen screwed up mah old Division and I feel a tiny speck of responsibility fo' that."

Not satisfied with the answer, Hiyori turned to Kensei and Mashiro.

The short haired Vizard cracked his knuckles while Mashiro babbled, testing his patience.

"What about you two, you don't have any responsibility towards this stinking place." Hiyori exclaimed heatedly.

Kensei only looked at her tiredly.

"Look, Hiyori, we already decided, your little fit won't change anything. Yes, I don't like the Central 46 or most of the Gotei Thirteen, but Ichigo went out of his way and to have us un-banished. I intend to use the opportunity. I can finally train like I used to."

"Mashiro will help Kensei, because he can't live without me." Mashiro squealed and jumped around Kensei, whose mouth twitched.

"I can live without you, idiot."

"Aww, don't be shy Kensei-chan."

A small tick-mark appeared on Hiyori's head as the dynamic duo proceeded to ignore her.

Before she could snap at them, Ichigo opened the doors, startling them greatly and making Hiyori yelp in surprise.

"Yo. How you're holding up?" Ichigo greeted them and sweat-dropped a little when he noticed their positions.

Hiyori was folded on the ground, with her crotch almost at her face, while Shinji had his head on the floor, with the rest of his body still on the armchair.

Kensei was holding Mashiro, who jumped at him in surprise.

Love was still reading his manga, ignoring the whole situation.

Rose was entangled in his lasso and Hacchi was trying to get him out of it.

Lastly, Lisa was staring at Ichigo with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Uhm... sorry that I surprised you?" Ichigo looked at them apologetically.

"Baldy! What the heck? Don't sneak up on me like that, I might kill you in reflex." Hiyori yelled after she managed to get up. She glared at Ichigo, red in face from embarrassment.

"Ichigo... you almost gave me a heart attack... don't tell me... did you finally learn how to mask your reiatsu?" Shinji looked at him with too much surprise on his face for Ichigo's taste.

"Haha, very funny." He retorted with an offended expression.

"Not funny... but interesting... so you can finally use your new skill for sneaking up on innocent victims of your deeply hidden fetishes or simply catch nude girls off guard... nice." Lisa commented and gave him a thumbs up.

...

"I don't have hidden fetishes!" Ichigo yelled, blushing slightly.

"Oh, but you didn't deny the nude girls part." Lisa shot back with a perverted grin.

"Wha-... I ... " She looked at him smugly when he couldn't reply at first, but it soon changed to a surprised expression when he managed to choke out.

"I get enough nude girls as it is." He mumbled when he remembered Yoruichi, Kukkaku and Harribel.

The last one he hadn't seen nude. But it was close enough to that.

That statement seemed to shock Lisa enough to shut her up, so he turned to Shinji.

"No, I didn't learn how to mask my reiatsu, it's simply because my reiatsu cannot be sensed anymore." Receiving a bunch of raised eyebrows, he shortly explained his situation.

"Ah... starting now, I don't think anything about you will surprise me anymore." Shinji sighed and shook his head.

"Eeeh? You understood what's wrong with Berry-tan, Shinji-chan?" Mashiro tilted her head and looked at the unofficial leader of Vizards in confusion.

"We all understood, idiot. Simply said, he's now too strong." Kensei stated.

"Booo, but Berry-tan can't be stronger than my Kensei!" She pouted at him and started to roll on the ground like angry child.

"You never stop, do you, Ichigo-san." Rose smiled at him.

"Well, maybe you'll be have less troubles with Kido now that you have different kind of reiryoku." Hacchi stated.

Hiyori only sat opposite to him and quietly fumed.

"Damn baldy... cheater... not fair..." She mumbled under her nose.

"Well, my idea still stands in that case." Lisa commented after she finally got over her surprise at Ichigo's previous response to her.

Said substitute only shook his head exasperatedly.

"You're still going with that... ?"

"Well, it is interesting... so... what are you going to do about the Soul King?" Love asked him suddenly, making Ichigo almost spit at him from surprise.

"Wha-? What about Soul King?"

Shinji only looked at him sardonically.

"Well, Captains almost went ape-shit when they heard 'bout it from Sui-Feng or what's her name. Don't worry, they haven't told anyone else. We only know it, 'cause me, Kensei and Mashiro are stayin' in Soul Society and takin' the free Captain positions... well, Mashiro will be some sort of Lieutenant..." He explained.

"Mashiro will be a Super-Lieutenant!" Mashiro exclaimed loudly, earning herself a whack on head, courtesy of Kensei.

"Like hell you will."

Finally catching up with the conversation, Ichigo widened his eyes.

"You're going to take back your old positions? That's great, congrats." He congratulated them.

"Yeaaaah... so? Whatcha gonna do?" Shinji asked, ignoring Kensei and Mashiro.

Scratching his head, Ichigo turned away.

"I... for starters, I'm going to find out if the Gotei 13 knew about my mum... that she was a Quincy and that Dad was their former Captain or not… That they just took it like an ordinary order." He stated calmly.

When he heard no response, he turned back to see Vizards looking at him puzzled.

"What?"

Kensei grimace at him.

"What difference does it make?"

Ichigo smiled a little.

"It's different to me. I can get over it if they just followed orders or if they were suspicious about it. It would mean I can't hold it against them. I know that they couldn't just go against the orders of the Soul King. However, if they knew who my mother and dad were... it would mean that they lied to me for these past months, playing allies with me... " He trailed off and looked outside the window.

"I know that it probably makes no sense at all, but I don't want to jump to conclusions... I don't want to fight people, that I consider friends... and fighting Gotei Thirteen would only bring problems and no matter who would win, there would be causalities and since all of us know what's coming, it would be stupid. I may hate Gotei Thirteen for what they did, but without them, the balance of souls would collapse ... my decision could potentially bring danger to many people... I don't know... I want to talk to Soul King face to face too... " Shinji sharply cut him off.

"Are ya crazy? Ya can't just go to him."

"I know... but I have the feeling that he'll want to talk to me himself. I just need to wait." Ichigo replied calmly.

The Vizards only sighed and quickly gave up from telling him otherwise. There was no point - they knew at least that much.

"Well, it was nice seeing you guys, but I think I should go to the First Division to talk to the old man and prevent an imminent conflict." Ichigo stated sauntering away just as Love grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait... Shinji, Kensei and Mashiro will be appointed in half an hour when the next Captains meeting should be. You can wait that much." He said, glancing at the rest.

"Well, I have no problem with baldy staying here for a moment." Hiyori declared and propped herself on Shinji's vacant armchair.

"Fine... thanks." Ichigo muttered with a smile and sat down for a few more minutes.

* * *

"Sooo, Ichigo, just be calm and don't do anything outrageously stupid, kay?" Shinji warned Ichigo just as they were standing in front of the doors, leading to the room, where every Captains meeting took place.

Kensei nodded in agreement, keeping the unusually serious and calm Mashiro behind him.

"Yeah yeah, you know me." Ichigo answered, making small beads of sweat appear on the Vizard's forehead.

"That's exactly why I'm tellin' you this..." Shinji muttered and opened the doors.

When he did, the murmur inside quieted down and the Captains looked towards the oncomers.

However, when they noticed Ichigo walking behind the expected visitors, their eyes widened and some of them had panicked expressions.

"K-kurosaki! What are you doing here?" Toshiro exclaimed worriedly.

_'Well, at least he doesn't look angry...'_The young Captain observed with a relieved sigh.

Kyoraku stared in Ichigo's eyes and then chuckled quietly.

"Always doing the unexpected, Ichigo-kun..."

Captain Commander squinted his eyes and flared his reiatsu for a bit.

"Hirako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei, Kuna Mashiro... we've been expecting you, but not you, Kurosaki Ichigo... What is your reason for being here?" He asked in booming voice.

"Gee, thanks for at least noticing us..." Shinji mumbled irritated.

Ichigo calmly strode forward.

"Well, wasn't it you people that suggested that I should stay in Soul Society in the first place? Why is it so odd that I'm here?"

Yamamoto's mouth twitched.

"Don't play games with me, Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm asking you why are you here, at a Captains meeting?"

Ichigo faintly smiled and stepped aside.

"That can wait, sir. I was under the impression that these three were going to be appointed to their old positions?"

From sides, Unohana smiled while Kyoraku outright chuckled.

"Oh... he's pulling Yama-jii's leg. You can almost see the frustration on his face." He whispered to Ukitake who shook his head disapprovingly.

With a tick-mark on his forehead, Yamamoto barely managed to keep his cool as he turned to three Vizards.

"Hirako Shinji, so you decided to take our offer and return to your old position as a Captain of the Fifth Division... what is your reason?"

Shinji grinned , showing the impressive set of teeth.

"My reason is simple. As a former Captain of the Fifth Division, I feel responsible for my inability to apprehend Sosuke Aizen before he ... did what he did. His actions are a black mark in the loyalty of my old division; he probably messed few minds, and I want to return the Fifth Division to its former reputation." He stated, earning complimentary nods from the rest of the Captains and the Commander himself.

"Well said, Hirako Shinji. With this, I hereby appoint you again as the Captain of the Fifth Division and I hope you will try your hardest. Take your Haori and stand next to your comrades." Yamamoto declared and nodded to his Lieutenant, Chojiro Tadaoki Sasakibe, to bring forth the Haori, which Shinji took and slipped into with style of his own, still grinning widely.

He stood next to Unohana, who nodded to him.

"Ahh, I didn't think that being back in this robe would feel so good." Shinji said with content sigh.

"Muguruma Kensei, Kuna Mashiro... I take it that both of you want to return to your old division, however, the Ninth already has a Lieutenant..." He trailed off and looked at them expecting them to split into two different divisions.

"If I may, Commander, I'd like to appoint Kuna-san as the co-lieutenant of the 9th Division. I am familiar with the current Lieutenant, Shuhei Hisagi, who agreed to share his position with Kuna-san." Kensei announced smoothly, making Yamamoto raise his eyebrow.

"Is that so?" He looked at him speculatively, when another voice spoke up.

"Captain Commander, sir, I apologize for interrupting, but I can confirm this, as Hisagi-san revealed this to me few hours ago." Komamura said, glancing at Kensei.

_'So, this is the man that Shuhei-san idolized from early age... '_

Yamamoto was deep in thoughts.

He wanted to say that this was against the rules. But he couldn't do that. It wasn't proper. There was no law stating that a Captain couldn't have more than a one Lieutenant. He couldn't say that it was wrong.

Glancing at Ukitake, who was adamant about not having his own Lieutenant, instead preferring two third seats, he frowned.

He remembered Kensei from hundred years ago and his dynamic with his old Lieutenant.

Thinking fast, he even remembered the Lieutenant, Mashiro, from when she was appointed to her post. She was one of the few shinigami, who preferred using her Hakuda to overwhelm her opponents and not a zanpakutou.

Being a person who was proud of his own Hakuda, Yamamoto could only appreciate a person like that.

Moreover, there was the fact, that having two lieutenants in the Ninth Division would boost the strength of the Gotei Thirteen. Hisagi together with Mashiro held a power almost comparable to a Captain.

It wouldn't take long before one of them would reach the strength of a Captain alone.

Settling on that, he closed his eyes.

"Very well. Kensei Muguruma, I already know your reason for returning to your old post so I'll skip that question as I'm sure that your subordinate would answer the same. Therefore, I hereby appoint Muguruma Kensei for the second time, as the Captain of the Ninth Division. I also appoint Kuna Mashiro as his Lieutenant. Captain, take your Haori, Lieutenant, take the badge." He exclaimed, slightly surprising few Captains with his decision and watched as the Vizard duo took their accessories.

When Kensei stood in his place, next to Kyoraku, who tilted his hat to him in greetings, Mashiro happily bounced from the room, smiling encouragingly at Ichigo.

Yamamoto then turned to Ichigo.

"Now, Kurosaki, explain yourself."

With a small groan, Ichigo stepped out and walked in front of the Commander.

"There isn't much to explain, sir. I only came to say, that I have no intention on attacking Gotei Thirteen, nor the Soul Society. I only ask for two things."

_'Carefully Kurosaki... don't do anything stupid.'_ Toshiro prayed as small beads of sweat started to form on his brow.

Commander, with his eyes still closed, nodded.

"I was hoping that we would remain allies. Let's hear it then."

Ichigo inhaled deeply and formed the questions in his mind.

"First, I am convinced that by now, you must have figured a few things out or at least Gin told you what he knew from his stay with Aizen, so I'll be blunt. I want to know, if you knew, back then, when you received the order from the Soul King, stopping you from pursuing a hollow named Grand Fisher, who was attacking a human... if you knew that she was a Quincy and a wife of Isshin Shiba, the former Captain of Tenth Division."

"It's true then... Captain Shiba is still alive..." Toshiro mumbled with a multitude of emotions raging through him.

Small talk erupted among the Captains, who, even after hearing the Commander's theory previous day, were still slightly shocked.

Yamamoto flared his reiatsu again, silencing them.

He gazed at the young substitute, who stared back at him unflinchingly.

"No."

Ichigo, who was expecting more, recoiled a little.

"No? And you didn't think that it was weird that the Soul King himself was interested in the fate of one, single human woman?" He asked a little frustrated.

"No. Orders, which come directly from the Soul King are not ones we are permitted to question. It's unthinkable that the Gotei 13 would even consider doing that. We serve the Soul King; we are his military force, not his advisors." Yamamoto stated sternly.

Ichigo grimaced a little, but was relieved internally.

_'I guess I should be a little bit more happy, but hearing this is making it really difficult...'_ He thought while Yamamoto studied his features.

"Is that answer sufficient?"

Ichigo shortly nodded.

"Yes, it was more or less what I expected... and what I hoped it would be." Ichigo replied cryptically.

When Yamamoto raised his eyebrow in question, Ichigo continued.

"There is also the second thing. I'm requesting an audition with the Soul King."

Captain Commander gaped at the substitute in front of him, hoping he heard wrong.

Form sidelines, Shinji facepalmed, along with Kensei.

_'He said he would wait for Soul King to contact him ... that idiot.'_

"A-audition? That's... that's outrageous! Kurosaki, I was slowly changing my opinion on you, but this is unprecedented!" Sui-Feng stared at him in utter surprise.

"I agree with Captain Sui-Feng. This is preposterous Kurosaki-san. You cannot just ask for an audition with the Soul King himself. Not even Captain Commander has competency to be able to that... and even if he did, I don't see a reason for you to see the Soul King. I'd even go as far as to say that you are the one who shouldn't see him, you have a reason for hating him. Your meeting is not a good idea." Komamura agreed in a bark.

"Ichigo-kun, in this room there are only two people, who saw the Soul King in person. That happened almost thousand years ago. There were other Captains who saw him, but they are now members of the Zero Squad, or as others call them, the Royal Guard. You are not even a part of Gotei Thirteen, so there is no way you'd be allowed to see him." Kyoraku added, but inside he was thinking otherwise.

_'On the other hand, you managed many practically impossible feats so I wouldn't be much surprised if you did even this...'_

Yamamoto finally found his voice.

"As my fellow Captains said, Kurosaki, your audacious request is impossible. It's so outrageous that it's even nonsensical to talk about it."

Expecting this kind of reaction, Ichigo shook his head.

"Maybe to you, it is. But I'm actually convinced that he'll contact you requesting to see me soon. And when that happens, tell me, so that I can talk to him. There's something I want to ask him." He stated, refusing to back down.

"He'll request to see you? Don't speak so arrogantly, Kurosaki." Byakuya retorted.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Ukitake asked after that.

Ichigo looked at them and glanced at Yamamoto.

"They don't know?"

Yamamoto looked at him confused.

"First of all, can any of you sense my Reiatsu? I'm not suppressing it, nor am I hiding it." Ichigo questioned the Captains.

"Now that you mention it, I knew there was something off with you." Toshiro replied puzzled.

Mayuri suddenly stepped in.

"You actually did it, you mongrel. You united the powers inside you and became the first perfect natural hybrid, didn't you?" He inquired in excited voice.

Ichigo raised one eyebrow.

"So I was right, you were able to deduce that I wasn't using my Shinigami powers until recently... you're almost as fast as Urahara-san." He added, getting an angry sneer in response.

"Kurotsuchi-san's theory was right, then... is that why we are unable to sense you?" Ukitake wanted to know.

Ichigo shortly nodded.

"Yes. Urahara-san told me that I'm now _'a being that lives in on higher plane of existence,'_ or something like that. Ridiculous comparison, if you ask me... " Ichigo mumbled and turned to Yamamoto again allowing the captain's time to digest the new and stunning revelation.

"That is one of the reasons why Soul King would want to see me. He will probably feel threatened by my existence. I won't say anything as arrogant as to say that I've become unbelievably strong or anything of the sort, because my abilities have stayed the same. But at the same time, I will say that they become a lot more powerful. More damaging."

_'That's exactly how you define someone who just got a hella lot stronger.'_Shinji sweat-dropped a little.

"You mean there is another reason?" Sui-Feng asked.

"Yes, and I'm baffled that you weren't told. Originally, I didn't want this to be known, but I don't think I would be able to convince you with just one reason. My father, Isshin Shiba, isn't a real Shiba. He's the last des-" He was cut off when Yamamoto swiftly flashed next to him and covered his mouth.

"Do not utter another word, boy." The Commander commanded sternly.

"What is it, Yama-jii?" Kyoraku stared at Yamamoto, a little bit frustrated that Ichigo couldn't finish his sentence.

"Kurosaki, what you were just about to reveal is a secret, and only I, as the Captain Commander, know of it. The rest of Gotei Thirteen is in no position to learn about this information. Do I make myself clear?" The old Commander watched as Ichigo slowly nodded and dropped his arm.

"That makes it easier. You know why the Soul King would want to see me… so I don't think you can protest when the time comes." Ichigo said calmly.

Yamamoto gritted his teeth.

"Careful, boy. Even if you are what you are, defiance will only anger me. Tell me, what would you want to ask the Soul King so badly?"

Shaking his head, Ichigo scoffed.

"I'm not defying anyone and pardon my rudeness, sir, but why would I tell you that?"

Flaring his reiatsu, Yamamoto's eyes glowed with power.

"Because if you won't, I'll be forced to beat it out of you." He warned him.

The rest of the Captains gulped a little.

_'Oi, oi, Kurosaki. Don't be stupid and just tell him.'_Kensei thought.

_'Idiot, you just went and provoked him... you just promised me not even half an hour ago that you wouldn't do anything outrageous.'_Shinji sighed heavily.

_'Oh, scary, scary... this should be interesting.'_Gin grinned in amusement.

_'Ah well, it was fun knowing you, Kurosaki.'_ Toshiro thought sadly.

_'Don't damage my test subject!'_ Mayuri mentally warned the Commander.

_'Well, we will at least know this... '_ Kyoraku smiled, but his smile faltered quickly with Ichigo's next words.

"You can try... sir."

"EEEEEEEH?" The Captains fell comically on the ground in shock.

This time, a large tick-mark appeared on Yamamoto's forehead. A second one appeared soon after.

"Boy... did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yes, I will fight you… If you won't listen to reason." Ichigo stated resolutely.

"Oh boy..." Kyoraku swallowed heavily and turned to Ukitake, who was still looking bewildered and from the corner of his eyes, he noticed Unohana.

When he caught her heavy breathing and bright glint in her eyes, he swallowed heavily again.

"Oh boy indeed... "

* * *

Zaraki Kenpachi raised his head from the gradually smaller pile of paperwork when he heard a loud knock on his door.

"Captain! I'm sorry for intrusion, especially after your warning that you want to complete your paperwork, but we just got a message, that Kurosaki Ichigo is about to fight the Captain Commander!" Said officer of his division yelled through the door in excited tone.

Ikkaku and Yumichika, who were helping their Captain for past week, since he never actually bothered with the paperwork that was slowly stacking on his table since Aizen's betrayal, looked up with wide eyes and glanced at Kenpachi, who's mouth widened into a terrifying grin and grinned themselves.

They usually took care of the paperwork, but after Aizen's defection, focused on training and forgot about it completely.

"Oooh, so Ichigo is finally in the mood for some fighting again and he didn't come to me... that almost makes me sad." Zaraki stood up and without bothering to open the doors, he ran out, demolishing the wall with a hysterical laugh.

Ikkaku and Yumichika looked at each other and in the next second, they were on their way too.

...

"Guys, guys!" Mashiro yelled after she finally arrived to the room that belonged to Vizards.

"What is it Mashiro, you're panting quite heavily... what's so important?" Lisa asked with her head still immersed in her erotic magazine.

"It's Berry-tan, he told off the Commander and they're going to fight!" She exclaimed surprisingly serious.

She turned her head when she heard a loud thud.

The rest of the Vizards were sprawled on the ground and staring at her in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right?" Love gaped at her.

When she shook her head, they quickly got up.

"Hacchi, we need to go, if the rest of the Seiretei hears about it, the idiots will go there to watch and they will be squashed with the reiatsu alone. They'll need a powerful barrier." Rose nudged the pink haired giant who nodded and started to prepare the suitable Kido.

"Mashiro, lead the way. I want to see baldy getting his ass kicked." Hiyori grinned hungrily.

_'Why do I have the feeling that won't happen?'_ Love thought and followed his comrades. No one noticed the black cat following closely behind.

...

"You know, I wonder how long it will take for Renji to actually admit it." Shuhei told to Kira while they drank a bit of sake.

"Ah, you know him... he's too stubborn to do it... " Kira shook his head sadly.

"I'd like to know where's Nanao-chan, I'm bored... " Rangiku whined and quickly took a small sip of sake herself.

At that moment the Lieutenant of the Eighth Division opened the doors and looked at them with a horror on her face.

"Nanao-chan! We were just talking about you, where..." Rangiku trailed off when she got a good look at the Vice-Captain.

"What happened?" Iba slowly got up from his chair.

Nanao shook her head.

"That fool... Kurosaki Ichigo… he argued with Captain Commander and now they're about to fight." She stated and watched as the rest of the Lieutenants gaped at her. Even the stoic Vice-Captain of Twelfth Division, Nemu, was surprised by this revelation.

"THE HELL?" Rangiku jumped and turned to the rest.

"Somebody should go tell Renji and Rukia; they would want to know." Kira suggested in a panicked voice.

"I already sent our third seat to their location." Nanao replied and turned around.

"We should go too." She added and flashed away while others shortly followed.

...

"That stupid, rash, insane idiot." Renji muttered under his breath, speeding through the Rukongai with Rukia closely behind him.

_'Ichigo... what are you doing?'_ Rukia thought worriedly.

Renji glanced back at her and sighed.

_'She must be worried sick... you suck, Ichigo.'_

* * *

"Kurosaki Ichigo... I'm giving you one more chance to stop this nonsense. Are you willing to fight over something as trivial as that? Do you want to get punished so badly?" Yamamoto asked in frustrated voice.

Not far from him, Ichigo was calmly looking back at him.

"Yes. I am. Are you?"

_'Ichigo... not that I'm worried or anything, but are you doing this simply because you're being stubborn or do you have an ulterior motive for this?'_Zangetsu questioned Ichigo's actions with only slight tint of humor in his voice.

_'Of course. First, the old man should learn that I'm his ally, not his subordinate. He can't order me around like he thinks he can. I'm not one of his tools. If I want to share my thoughts with him, I'll do so, but if not... he needs to know, that I'm not willing to obey him just like that.'_Ichigo retorted.

_'You know... they may want to try to seal your powers because they'll decide that you're too dangerous to them.'_

Ichigo smiled a little, confusing Yamamoto, who was staring at him.

_'It won't go that far, Zangetsu. I have more reasons for this fight, not just one. I want to test myself. Ywach is supposed to be as strong as Yamamoto, if not stronger. If I can't hold my own against the old man, how can I hope to defeat Ywach? I want to also make the rest of the Captains understand that some of them are weak... well, that sounds arrogant… But Aizen did dispose of the most of them like they were nothing. They have to get stronger.'_He explained.

_'Eh, Ichigo... you do realize that not everyone has your potential, right?'_ Zangetsu smirked at him.

_'Is that a compliment?... I know that, but most of them are still young and I'm convinced that they can do better.'_Finishing his small talk with Zangetsu, Ichigo raised his head and focused on Yamamoto.

"Let's go, sir." He glanced around him to see that Hacchi just set up a bright orange barrier.

Thanking him mentally, as he was worried that people would get caught in the crossfire, he shifted his sight and watched as Yamamoto gritted his teeth, turning his cane into his zanpakutou.

The Captain Commander took off his haori and shihakusho just enough to reveal his scarred torso and raised his sword in front of him.

"I'm not sure about your intentions, as I don't believe it's just you being stubborn, but either way, you're about to get punished, boy."

"Reduce all creation the ash, Ryujin Jakka!" He added and Ichigo watched fascinated as Yamamoto's sword became engulfed in flames, heating up the area around him.

Even from a distance he could feel the reiatsu surrounding the old Commander.

However, he smiled a little, when he realized that after uniting his powers inside him, he had actually surpassed the oldest shinigami in terms of reiatsu.

"Your zanpakutou is very nice, sir. It almost looks like a red inferno... but two can play this game."

From the sidelines, the Captains and other shinigami, along with Yamamoto, looked in surprise when Ichigo raised his own sword.

"Set the darkness ablaze, Zangetsu!" He released his own Shikai, intentionally pumping more reiryoku into the blade, and created a small black inferno around him.

With a satisfied smirk, he thanked Lilynette, as when he trained her during those three days, Ichigo managed to grasp the character of his flames, bending them through his will.

The only reason he didn't control them in his fight with the Ancient, was the fact, that his emotions went haywire.

"What? Since when Ichigo had a released command for his shikai... and since when has his zanpakutou had a fire element?" Renji turned Rukia, who was staring back at him, completely clueless.

"That... is new." Kyoraku noted, blinking in surprise.

"Kurosaki... why do I feel something eerie from you flames?" Yamamoto stopped in his tracks when Ichigo released his zanpakutou.

"It's simple... the element of my Zangetsu is darkness, or more accurately, flames of darkness." Ichigo replied and watched as the Commander raised his eyebrows.

"I see." Was the only thing he said and flashed to Ichigo, intent on punishing him with his own flames.

With a frown, Ichigo spun himself and blocked the strike, coming from behind.

Their clash resulted in a small shockwave, echoing through the area, vibrating the barrier set around them.

"Is that all? I thought you were faster, sir." Ichigo stated, still frowning a little.

"I'm not finished, boy." Yamamoto retorted and started to use Shunpo all around him, striking at every position.

For the normal shinigami, the oldest shinigami would be just a blur, but not for Ichigo.

He blocked and parried every attack that was thrown at him.

After the last clash, he went on the offensive, using only his Zanjutsu skills, trying to push Yamamoto away.

With a satisfied grin, he realized that he couldn't do it.

He was faster, his slashes were stronger, but Yamamoto wasn't the Captain Commander for nothing and his Zanjustu was long miles ahead of Ichigo's, allowing him to keep up with the substitute just fine.

Using his momentum from a jab, Yamamoto flashed behind him, trying to slice Ichigo's backside.

To his utter astonishment, Ichigo didn't even turn and deftly caught his blade bare-handedly.

...

"Did he just...?" Sui-Feng was trying to collect her jaw from the ground... without much success.

"Oh well, I didn't want to train with him that much... " Shuhei confessed dryly.

"Uhmmmm... well, I bet Yama-jii didn't see that one coming." Kyoraku choked out.

"Ohh yes... yes, yes, yes, he will be my test subject even if I have to sacrifice half of my limbs…" Mayuri mumbled insanly. The shinigami around him stepped away in fright.

...

_'Damn his sword is hot. If I had held it for any longer, he'd fry my fingers.'_Ichigo thought in amazement and thanked his hollow side for his tough Hierro.

Yamamoto was standing a small distance away from him, baffled.

_'He caught my blade? Impossible... it's like I'm fighting Ywach. He's the only other person who could do that.'_He shook his head. It wasn't time to dwell on that.

It was time to punish the naughty boy.

_'If Zanjutsu won't work, there are other ways...'_

"Bakudo Number Sixty-One, Rikujokoro!" He yelled and caught the surprised Ichigo with a binding spell.

_'Oh... Kido already?'_Ichigo thought in mild amusement.

"It doesn't matter that you caught my blade once, boy, so don't get full of yourself. You won't be able to do it twice." Yamamoto stated and built up his reiatsu, while Ichigo only waited.

"Hado Number Eighty-Eight, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" The Commander yelled and from his outstretched palm he fired a gigantic beam of electrical and spiritual energy, that raced towards Ichigo in great speed, hitting him dead on.

...

"Seriously? Hado Number Eighty-Eight? That's going overboard, Genryusai-dono!" Ukitake exclaimed and twisted himself, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It belonged to Kyoraku, who only nodded to the fight.

"Just look."

Lieutenants on the sidelines were watching the fight in awe.

"Damn, that was one crazy Kido... an ordinary shinigami would be vaporized by now." Iba muttered.

...

"Well, Kurosaki Ichigo... are you ready to talk? I know that you're not dead, even if I can't sense your reiatsu..." Yamamoto trailed off when the smoke from the flashy kido cleared and his jaw almost fell to his knees.

Ichigo was walking towards him leisurely, dusting his clothes with a small grin on his face.

"Well... never heard about that particular Kido before, but it seems interesting." He stated.

...

Shinigami watching the battle couldn't even talk now... Their surprise was too much for them to handle.

Even the Captains were stunned. Not one of them dared to get hit by that particular Kido head-on and emerge unharmed.

Yet Ichigo did it like it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

The only one who wasn't stunned was Unohana.

_'Ohhhh... he just gets better and better... If this fight doesn't stop soon, I swear I'll kidnap him and ... '_She wiped a small trail drool from her mouth and tried to shake the dirty thought from her mind.

...

"Impossible." Yamamoto muttered in disbelief.

"And yet here I am, sir... But don't think you're the only one who can do Kido anymore." Ichigo retorted and gathered his reiryoku.

Raising his index finger, he aimed at Yamamoto.

"Hado Number Four, Byakurai." He shot a concentrated bolt of lighting at the Commander, who realized the danger and quickly performed a defensive Kido.

"Bakudo #Eighty-One, Danku!" A translucent barrier emerged in front of Yamamoto, stopping the Byakurai in its tracks.

He was left stupefied however, when the low-level Kido managed to create a small crack in his Bakudo.

"Come on! This is getting ridiculous. Byakurai damaging a Danku? Where's the fucking logic in this?" Renji exclaimed irritated.

_'How far have you come, Ichigo. Do I really have no chance of reaching your level?'_

"I knew that he was strong, but I agree... this is getting ludicrous. It's like he's not even trying ... " Ikkaku agreed with him, surprising Renji with his presence.

"But you know... this is making him even more sexy." Rangiku pointed out slyly, earning a small hiss from black cat that was standing next to her.

_'This boy...'_ Yamamoto growled.

"Hado Number Sixty-Three, Raikoho!" He yelled, sending another lighting strike at Ichigo, who raised his eyebrow.

"Bakudo Number Eight, Seiki." The Hado bounced of his small barrier, however, his Bakudo shattered in the process.

"That was a Hado of lower level than the previous one, that means..." Ichigo noted and twisted himself, blocking a strike from behind, creating another small shockwave.

"You know, Commander, you really like attacking from behind."

Yamamoto scoffed and jumped away, after his charge got interrupted.

"Everything is allowed in a battle. You do anything to win. Doing anything less is only foolish and naive."

Ichigo shortly nodded and jumped above him, intending on cleaving the old man in two.

He was blocked, but Yamamoto's hand almost buckled under the force behind the slash.

Still in mid-air, Ichigo twisted his body and aimed a kick at Commander's head, that was barely dodged.

In retaliation, Yamamoto grabbed his leg and threw him away.

"As I said, don't get ahead of you, boy. I have been the Captain Commander for past thousand years. This is nothing." He grunted.

"I see, maybe it's time for retirement?" Ichigo smirked and flashed to him, using his full speed and punched him in the gut.

Yamamoto couldn't react in time and was sent flying. He painfully crashed in the wall of the barrier with a small grunt.

...

"Oi... baaad move, Ichigo-kun, You never say to Yama-jii that it's time to retire, unless he brings it up himself." Kyoraku cringed when he could feel Commander's angry reiatsu even through the barrier.

...

Ichigo tilted his head while Yamamoto slowly got up.

"You know, there's something that's been bugging me. I almost thought that the rest of the Captains would jump at me when I said I would fight you."

He covered his eyes, when the flames of Ryujin Jakka fiercely bursted from Yamamoto.

"Retire? Rest of the Captains?... Don't make me laugh boy. I said that you need to be punished. Other Captains would only get in my way." He growled.

Ichigo grimaced and prepared himself.

_'Oh well, it seems I finally pissed him off.'_

Yamamoto raised his blade.

"Taimatsu!" He yelled and a huge torrent of flames erupted from his zanpakutou, flying at Ichigo.

_'Wow.'_He thought and raised his blade too.

"Angetsu no Ka!" His black flames met the ones of Ryujin Jakka in midway and fought for dominance.

Both of the fighters pumped their Reiryoku into their respective zanpakutou, fuelling the flames, refusing to back down. Those on the sidelines could only watched, swallowing whatever little water was left in their parched throats.

It seemed for a while, that Ryujin Jakka was proving its strength as the strongest zanpakutou in Soul Society. Its flames pushed the black ones back before the black ones began licking at the red, finally overcoming them. They took aim quickly at Yamamoto, who somehow managed to get over his surprise just in time and flashed to safety.

When the flames disappeared and Ichigo couldn't see the Commander, with a sigh he quickly spun, just in time to see another set of flames rapidly coming at him.

_'He really... really likes to strike from behind.'_

"Yami no Tsukitate!" He yelled and erected a shield of darkness, cancelling Yamamoto's attack.

_'Time to get on offensive.'_ Ichigo thought and flashed away, again using his maximum speed and evading Commander's sight.

The oldest shinigami stood still, ready to defend himself.

"Hado Number One, Sho." He was sent flying back and just as he was about to correct his trajectory, Ichigo was already behind him.

"Bakudo Number One, Sai." The weakest Bakudo in hands of transcendental took a few seconds for Yamamoto to dispel and Ichigo took the chance.

From above, he sliced the air below him.

"Angetsu no Ka."

From the close distance, Yamamoto had no chance and was engulfed in black flames.

Ichigo wiped a sweat from his brow.

_'He should be lucky I can now use the flames without that torturing ability.'_

"No way, he's... winning?" Sui-Feng whispered in shock and turned to her peers.

"Ya'all know what? I'm done. I'm wasting no more breath for this. Ichigo crossed the limits of the shinigami, so I ain't even mad that he's clearly stronger than someone like me, who's hundreds years older than him." Shinji announced, wildly waving with his hands.

"I'm standin' behind my words, Ichi-kun. Yer a scary kid." Gin muttered and almost grinned when he thought about the next time Aizen would meet Ichigo.

_'Oh Cap'n Dickzen, ya'll be veeery surprised.'_He thought, borrowing Ichigo's nickname for Aizen for a moment.

"Yo, old man Yama-jii, you okay?" Ichigo called out to the smoke.

After a few moments the smoke cleared, revealing slightly charred Yamamoto. Part of his beard had been burnt away, a trail of blood dripped from his mouth.

"Damn you, Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto cursed.

"I hope that this means you're giving up." Ichigo stated.

He frowned, when Yamamoto flared his reiatsu.

"No."

Ichigo glared at him.

"In that case, I'll finish it." He muttered and focused on his energy.

Zangetsu told him, that even if he was transcendental, if he focused enough, he could suppress his hollow and Quincy side for a while, creating a moment, when his reiatsu could be sensed by shinigami.

Concentrating hard, he gritted his teeth.

Yamamoto and the rest of the onlookers watched him in confusion.

Just as Yamamoto was about to flash to him, he was hit with a Reiatsu he'd never felt before. It was something unimaginably strong. Stronger than anything he'd felt.

With his tired body, he was forced to stand still, the reiatsu pressing on him preventing him from any movement.

_'This reiatsu... it's even easily above my own...'_

The raw pressure of it broke the barrier surrounding the two combatants like it was made of thin glass, sending a shockwave through the crowd, knocking several people out and sending several more to their knees.

It took them a few seconds, but Captains immediately started to flare their own reiatsu, trying to prevent the weak officers from suffering any injuries.

Hacchi, who was trying to keep the barrier alive, his Vizard mask present on his face, was sent flying.

Ichigo didn't notice and focused on Yamamoto.

"Enough of this, Captain Yamamoto. I didn't want to fight so that I could kill you, or even wound you. I only want you to see for yourself that I am not part of Gotei Thirteen. I'm not your soldier, but your ally. You can't just order me around. Call it arrogant, call it rude, but you need to understand that." He stated and slowly walked to him.

"This fight was also to test myself and so that you can see the reality. Your best years are behind you. You got old, you lost your arm and refused to get help from my human friend that could give it back to you. What if Ywach came here with the same amount of power I hold?" Ichigo asked the frozen Commander.

"You said it yourself, that in a battle, you have to use everything at your disposal. So tell me, why did you refuse to get your arm back? Is it because you don't want to get humans involved? Well good morning to you sir, we have been involved ever since we first invaded Soul Society. I hope you understand that I only fought you for your own good."

When he got near the oldest shinigami, his frown disappeared and waited until Yamamoto looked at his face.

"Are you still going to fight me? Will you even use your bankai? Would you go that far, simply because someone, who's not under your command refused to tell you his little secret... I still won't tell you what I want to ask him, but know one thing. I don't plan on fighting him... so... will you still try to force me to tell you more?" Ichigo asked him with serene face.

Yamamoto widened his eyes a little.

_'So that was his intention... '_ He sighed a little and after a moment he shook his head.

_'I feel like a child that's being scolded and it should be the other way around. I'm the one who should be scolding him... yet he's quite right. I didn't want to get humans involved anymore... I was also too proud to get help from them... for one thousand years, I have been the strongest shinigami... it seems that this title is no longer valid...'_

"No... I wouldn't use my bankai for something so trivial, it's too dangerous." He chuckled a little, confusing everyone, including Ichigo.

"Kurosaki... maybe you're not such a little kid anymore. You certainly aren't stupid either. Your intentions were good, but the execution was still rash… Fine. I understand what you wanted me to understand. Now, release the pressure, or you'll kill my men." Yamamoto announced, making Ichigo to turn around in shock.

"Shit." He cursed and quickly let his reiatsu become undetectable again.

Those, who were around them and still were conscious, with one exception, sighed in relief as the incredible pressure that almost squashed them, disappeared.

That one exception being Unohana who almost whined.

_'Noooo... that reiatsu... I need it back... I almost came... give it baaaack.'_

She straightened herself and flushed in embarrassment.

_'I have to get myself together... oh, I'm so wet, I have to change my clothes.'_

Ichigo offered his hand to Yamamoto.

"So, does this mean that I can call Orihime to restore your arm?"

End of chapter 13


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